The RWBY Casts Watches the Multiverse
by Dahmiel
Summary: The casts of RWBY found themselves in another dimension with powerful beings proclaiming that they will be witnessing things beyond or within their realities. Earth History/War, Team SLVR, and many more to come! DISCLAIMER: I do not owe anything. All works belong to their respective owners.
1. Short and Rushed Intro

**A Short and Rushed Intro**

**RWBY casts takes place around Vol 3 Chapter 2 or 3.**

* * *

"… And I said, now that's a katana… Hey, guys. Where are we?" Ruby said as they realized they were no longer in the academy's corridor.

Team RWBY glanced around with extreme caution. They didn't have their weapons on them. Not too long ago they were at the cafeteria finishing their meal before heading back to their dorm room.

"How did we even get here?" Weiss asked as she inspects the gigantic room they are currently in. "I don't remember a giant movie theater room in Beacon."

"That's because Beacon has no such thing." Said a stern but feminine voice.

Team RWBY turned around and saw Headmaster Ozpin and Deputy Glynda Goodwitch walking towards them. Trailing behind them was a small crowd of familiar and friendly faces.

General James Ironwood, Specialist Winter Schnee, Uncle Qrow, Penny Polendina, and Team JNPR.

"So, then where are we?" Yang asked.

Qrow took a swig out of his flask before answering, "Ain't that the one million Lien question, firecracker."

"Winter." Weiss greeted her big sister.

"Weiss." She greeted back, "I see that we're in the same predicament."

Jaune scratched his head, "So… We're in a movie theater?"

"It seems so." Ren nodded while holding Nora back from playing with one of the cushioned chairs.

Ironwood was calmly assessing his situation, taking in the details of his surroundings until his thoughts were interrupted as Penny rushed out to meet her friend.

"Penny!" Ruby exclaimed, happy to see the android girl again.

"Ruby!" Penny tackled Ruby with all her might, sending them sprawling onto the ground.

"Why…?" Ruby moaned.

Nora joined in, "And Nora!" Nearly jumping on them were it not for Ren holding her back.

"Nora, please don't."

"Aww, but Renny…!"

Jaune tried to take control of the situation, "Let's… Try to keep calm you guys." His efforts were cut short as something caught their attention.

_"Welcome."_ The large screen on the wall came to life with white text. _"You are here to witness things beyond or within your realities. Please, take a seat."_

"I suggest we don't take a seat." Glynda put some stress on the 'don't' part. Understandably distrustful in their current situation.

_"Food, drinks, and accommodation will be provided upon demand. Please make yourself comfortable; rest assured, no harm shall be done."_

Nobody moved.

"I think we're good," Jaune said with a brave expression.

Everyone nodded in agreement, unsure if they should follow the instruction of the shady… Movie screen?

_"Allow us to assist you."_

Everyone blinked. They now found themselves seated comfortably on the cushioned seats in a blink of an eye.

"What?! How?!" Weiss exclaimed, shock at what had happened.

"That's creepy," Yang said.

Blake nodded, "I second that."

"Interesting." Ozpin mused, keeping calm while Glynda and Ironwood looked like they were about to bolt from their chair.

_"Now that you are settled, please relax and enjoy the show."_

"What is this place? Who are you?" Ironwood asked.

Qrow took another swig out of his bottle, "Best to save your questions for later and go with the flow. I hate to see what the all-powerful screen can do if we angered it."

"… I'm surprised you're thinking rationally here, Qrow." Ironwood said as he laid back onto his chair, figuring the drunk was right.

"Still too sober…" Qrow responded sadly as he shook his now empty flask. On cue, there was a swishing sound of liquid in it, surprising the huntsman. "I could have sworn… Oh. The mighty movie screen did say something about drinks on demand…" He took a whiff, ignoring the glares from his peers, and then drank the content. "Hey, this is good." Qrow nodded in approval.

"Unbelievable." Glynda and Winter said simultaneously.

_"Before we begin, you should be warned that some of your viewings may be disturbing, graphic, nonsensical, or controversial. Viewer discretion is advised."_

"There goes Ruby's innocence," Yang muttered under her breath.

Ruby tilted her head, "Did you say something, Yang?"

"Nothing."

"Oh, okay."

_"The show will now begin." The lights darkened as the screen flickered brightly. "Remember, you will be witnessing things beyond or within your realities"_


	2. SLVR Silver Trailer

**DISCLAIMER: ****I do not own RWBY or SLVR.**

**All characters belong to their respective owners:**

**SLVR - Mark Zhang**

**RWBY - Rooster Teeth**

_**I also strongly advise you to watch the SLVR Trailer on YouTube. The animations gets better as it goes on.**_

* * *

**NOTE: This started out as a writing exercise for me to describe the scene and combat in fine details. Not that I succeeded or anything... Anyway, enjoy.**

* * *

**SLVR 'Silver' Trailer**

* * *

**The screen turned black as texts fade in on the screen:**

**"The shards of your shattered dreams have not lost their meaning. Make with them a mosaic upon which a brighter tomorrow can be seen."**

"Wise words. Even if you were to suffer setbacks on your dreams and goals, it doesn't mean it should be the end of it." Ozpin praised.

A few of the audience members nodded in agreement.

**The screen cut to a dock full of shipping containers slowly panning to the left until it stopped in front of a warehouse. The camera zoomed in slowly before changing its angle to the side and panned upwards towards the roof.**

**The screen then showed a full moon in the clear dark blue skies, unshattered.**

Weiss spoke up, "Wait, the moon isn't like that. It's… Round and not shattered."

"It's still too early to know where this is going." Glynda replied, "Let's wait. Perhaps we may get some answers."

**The camera zoomed out, showing white specks floating in the air. A hand is seen reaching out towards the moon as if the person was trying to grasp it.**

**A young man with slightly tanned skin, deep purple eyes, and spiky raspberry-red hair laid flat on the warehouse rooftop. He wore a high-collar jacket, mainly colored dark bluish-gray with thick black hemming on the collar, sleeve cuffs, and bottom flaps. He also wore light black jeans that go down into his pair of darker high boots, strapped with three buckles and colored the same gray as his jacket.**

**This young man is Simin Megistus, the apparent leader of the as-of-yet unfound team; Team SLVR.**

"It appears that we will be witnessing a hunter-in-training in action," Winter noted quietly.

Ironwood seemed to agree with that statement. "It certainly looks like it."

Ruby was starting to get excited, "We're going to see new weapons!"

**A shadow passed over him as a bullhead flew over the warehouse and started to descend.**

"Oh no… I got a bad feeling about this." Blake said.

**Simin stood up and observed the descending bullhead, his face hidden from view due to the angle in which the camera was shot. The warehouse shutter slid up, revealing several individuals in black hoods and white mask.**

"It's the White Fang!" Blake shouted as she stood up.

"Yes, Blakey. We know." Yang quipped as she pulled her partner down. "Nothing we can do here. What are you going to do about it? Jump into the screen?"

Blake looked embarrassed, "S-sorry. I, uh… Got carried away there." She sat in a straight position, giving the screen her full attention.

Yang chuckled, "You're still obsessed with stopping the White Fang?"

"Quiet, Yang. I'm watching."

"It is admirable to stay vigilant, but not to the point of obsession," Winter said, remembering a letter from Weiss describing one of her teammate's zealous behavior in investigating the White Fang.

**The White Fang goons walked in, revealing that there were more of them already taking up residence in the warehouse. It was one of their hideouts and storage facility; grunts lifting up wooden crates with unknown content, while a few were lounging around.**

**A White Fang grunt sat on top of a crate minding his own business until a crate suddenly moved; garnering his attention. It continued to shake and slide, making audible thuds. The grunt slowly walked over, pulling out his pistol as he slowly reached out towards the crate.**

**He quickly ripped open the lid and pointed his gun at the unwelcomed guest, only to find it empty. The grunt looked confused as he lowered his gun, scratching his head.**

**What he didn't know was that Simin was behind the crate instead of inside it. Looking bored, Simin kicked the crate taking the grunt with it as it slid a few feet. The grunt tried to regain balance and escape but failed as Simin stomped on the crate, trapping the grunt inside.**

"Not a bad looking face," Yang remarked causing Ruby to groan. "Hey, it's true!"

**Simin surveyed his surroundings and opponents before grinning. Every single grunt in the warehouse now had their attention turned towards him.**

Winter shook her head, "While I do not condone his action in facing the White Fangs alone. He shouldn't be standing there assessing his situation out in the open, under hostile's field of view no less."

"Chill, Ice Queen. The kid probably got something up his sleeve."

The older Schnee glared at the dusty crow, who only shrugged in response to her icy stare.

**A grunt immediately pulled out his pistol followed by another as they formed a firing line, aiming their guns at the red-haired boy.**

**The scene shifted behind Simin, revealing a circular plate that's attached to his Specialized Dust Projection Jacket (SDPJ); his weapon, Kore Kosmou.**

Ruby gasped, "Is that…"

"It would appear so, Ruby." Penny nodded.

"What is it?" Jaune asked.

"It's his weapon! Dust infused clothes that allow the user to manipulate the power of Dust in any shape or form. It's one of the most common ways huntsman and huntresses use Dust, but I had never seen anyone utilized this sort of rotation system before." Ruby was about to continue explaining, but Yang placed a firm hand on her shoulder making her stop.

"Interesting. The Atlesian Military might find some decent application with its design."

Winter was already writing things down. "I'm already taking notes, sir."

"Thank you, Winter."

**Kore Kosmou rotated and stopped on the blue orb, allowing Simin to utilized Ice Dust. The markings on the sleeves of his jacket turned blue as his hand shot out and formed a short blade sword with a pointed snowflake-like handguard.**

"Will someone hold Ruby down before she rockets out of her seat?" Yang asked.

Penny volunteered, "I shall perform this task that you have requested." She said with a salute.

**Simin dashed forward deflecting the pistol shots without any difficulties. A grunt with a saber charged and met him straight on with an overhead swing, but Simin deflected the attack with a heavy upward strike causing the grunt to stumble back. A second attack from Simin followed as he swiped his blade at the knees of the grunt causing the terrorist to fall flat on his face.**

**Continuing his assault, Simin lunged forth; kneeing a grunt in the face and using that same leg to plant a kick into another. The two grunts promptly collapsed on the ground, knocked out of the fight.**

**White Fang's reinforcement arrived as two grunts with scoped assault rifles opened fire on the charging red-haired boy. Seeing that he won't be able to deflect the barrage, Simin materialized a shield of ice, blocking all the shots as he continued to push forward.**

"So cool!" Ruby gushed.

"He certainly displays great proficiency in utilizing Dust." Glynda agreed.

Meanwhile, Ozpin had a thoughtful look on his face. "We wouldn't happen to have any record of this young man, Glynda?"

"I'll see if he is on any of the kingdom's record," Glynda replied.

**Simin jumped into the air and slammed his shield on the ground, the impact cracked the floor and blew away the surrounding grunts. He got up and blocked a saber with his shield and slashed the grunt on the shoulder. Another grunt tried to attack his rear, lashing out with his two swords only to have Simin parry them and slammed the edge of his shield on the grunt's chest, taking the grunt out.**

**Simin quickly turned around to block an ax strike and pushed his attacker back with his shield before slashing the grunt across the head and bashing him with his shield followed by a jump kick.**

**Three more grunts charged at him, only to be met with swift and decisive blows, ending the fight in seconds. Seeing that their attempts aren't working, the White Fang decided to coordinate their attacks, attacking in groups and trying to outflank their opponent.**

Yang shook her head, "Pointless attempt."

"At least they're persistent despite knowing being hopelessly outmatched." Qrow said after taking a drink, "That deserves a mention."

"Whose side are you on?" Winter asked.

"Hey, just saying Ice Queen."

**Simin finished off his final opponent with a kick in the guts and turned his attention to the sound of mechanical buzzing as the shutter door slowly slid open revealing a White Fang Sergeant.**

**The White Fang Sergeant wore a full Grimm mask that was decorated with red markings and wields a drill-like weapon that appears to be in the shape of a rifle. He calmly walks into the warehouse, sizing up his opponent.**

Blake narrowed her eyes, "This one must be the hideout's leader. A sergeant based on the markings of his mask."

"He reminds me of a particular White Fang that used a chainsaw," Weiss noted upon seeing the drill-gun weapon the White Fang Sergeant was carrying. She still remembered her near-death experience after losing the fight against the White Fang Lieutenant.

Ironwood and Winter kept silence, making note of the information they had just received from them.

**The Sergeant hoisted his weapon and powered on the drill as he rushed towards Simin, slamming his weapon onto Simin's ice shield. Simin stepped back, giving the Sergeant time to slam the butt of his weapon onto the shield, knocking him to the floor.**

**Simin rolled and jumped up, never losing his momentum as he charged to meet the Sergeant head-on. He ducked, allowing the drill to collide into his shield as he slid past the Sergeant's guard, readying for his opponent's next attack.**

"His opponent is strong," Jaune said as he imprinted Simin's combat techniques and movement to his mind. The red-haired boy was currently wielding a weapon similar to his own, a sword and shield. Jaune figured he might learn a thing or two from the scene.

"The higher-ranking members of the White Fang tend to have better combat experience than the ordinary ones," Blake explained.

**The Sergeant swung his drill only to have it bashed to the side with Simin's shield and was struck on the head with a sword. The two fiercely dueled on the warehouse floor, blue arcs gleamed underneath the lights as Simin lashed against the Sergeant's drill-gun.**

**Their weapons clashed against one another, temporarily locking them in place until the Sergeant found an opening and kicked Simin on the leg forcing him back. Taking this opportunity, the Sergeant continued his relentless assault, slamming his weapon into shield made of ice, pushing Simin back as he blocked the heavy blows from the large faunus.**

**Ramping up his attack, the Sergeant smashed his arm and elbow onto Simin's shield using the recoil from his drill-gun to boost the impact and launched Simin into the air with a fierce upward swing.**

**The large faunus leaped into the air and brought his weapon down on Simin's shield, sending him spiraling down onto the floor. Simin quickly maneuvered his body and landed crouched on his two feet and readied his shield as the Sergeant descended, his drill-gun drilling into his shield.**

**The shield shattered; chunks of ice were sent scattering across the floor as Simin fell back.**

"The Sergeant is skilled, using his size and strength to his advantage," Ren noted.

Pyrrha and Jaune nodded in agreement while Nora was busy eating a plate of pancakes that materialized in front of her.

"I estimate that his skill is around your average first to second-year hunter-in-training." Pyrrha guessed.

"I'm surprised that he's even a sergeant." Blake spoke up, "At best, he could become a lieutenant or captain in the White Fang with his skills."

"I so despise the usage of military terminologies for a terrorist organization." Winter coldly said.

Blake glared at her, "They're misguided, and if it weren't for the SDC work policy…"

"Not. Now." Ironwood growled, "Save it for later."

"Yes, sir."

"Hmph."

**The Sergeant spun his weapon and shattered the ice sword, sending the young man flying into a pile of wooden crates. The faunus leaped into the air and swung his weapon overhead as he fell upon his opponent.**

**But Simin wasn't done yet.**

**Kore Kosmou spun rapidly and halted on the red orb, signifying Fire Dust.**

Ruby squealed, anticipating what is about to come as pulled out her pen and paper, ready to write things down.

"I can help you write down our observation, Ruby. I am well versed in multitasking." Penny offered, to which Ruby excitedly said something unintelligible and handed Penny her pen and paper.

"Calm down, Ruby."

"I am calm!" Ruby squeaked.

**A slash of fiery orange streaked across the screen, knocking the Sergeant back as he faceplanted on the hard floor. ****Simin walked out from the ruins of crates holding a double-hand orange sword with a smug expression.**

"So cool!" Ruby cheered.

**Simin twirled the sword and took his stance, holding his sword over his shoulder with both hands.**

**The Sergeant picked himself up and revved his drill-gun as the two charged at each other once again. They parried, dragging past each other, followed by the Sergeant twisting his body to deliver a powerful blow.**

**Simin met the attack head-on, quickly maneuvering his blade and struck the drill-gun down onto the ground, allowing him to fiercely slash at the Sergeant and knocked his legs out from under him. The faunus fell flat on his back, but quickly kicked himself back up and parried Simin's attack only to get himself slash on the back when his opponent swiftly sidestepped him.**

"That was a nice recovery, err, not that I'm rooting for the bad guy." Jaune said nervously.

"Eh." Was Qrow's response.

**He staggered back and turned to face Simin. Switching his grip on his weapon, he lunged forth, driving his drill-gun at his opponent.**

**The double-hand sword caught the side of the Sergeant's weapon, driving it deeper into the ground. The drill-gun function turned against the faunus as it drilled itself deeper into the floor. Realizing his mistake, the Sergeant tried to pull his weapon out leaving him wide open.**

**Taking this opportunity, Simin swung his sword launching the Sergeant into the air. Four orange arcs streaked across the large faunus causing him to stagger and lose strength as he staggered back. Simin then dematerialized his sword and charged towards the weakened Sergeant, intending on ending the fight.**

"What's he doing?" Weiss asked, "He clearly had the advantage there, why did he store away his sword?"

"It seems that he is planning on something." Glynda answered.

**The Sergeant spotted Simin running towards him, weaponless. With a huff, he used all of his strength to pick up his drill-gun and swung at him, missing as Simin leaped into the air, sailing past his guard.**

**Blue lights emitted from Simin's hand. Two ice swords materialized, slashing the Sergeant across the chest. Simin's attack blurred as he sent the large faunus slamming into an electric panel that controlled the shudder doors.**

"That White Fang Sergeant has a lot of aura if he could withstand all those attacks and still get up," Ren said.

"I noticed that as well," Blake replied as she jotted down on her notes.

The White Fang Sergeant shown here was clearly skilled. Maybe not as skilled as the red-haired boy, but definitely someone to look out for if he wasn't defeated or captured by the end of this run.

Yang snorted, "He's not much. I can easily take him down."

**An orange sword made of Fire Dust embedded itself near the electric panel causing it to explode, sending the Sergeant flying towards Simin. The red-haired boy jumped into the air and delivered a full roundhouse kick to the faunus head, sending the Sergeant flying through the hole made from the explosion and into the docks.**

"Oh, that has got to hurt." Yang laughed.

"Ugh, reminds me of my time back at Beacon…" Qrow groaned, remembering how he and Raven felt the wrath of Summer Rose back when their team had just formed. That was a kick they'll never forget.

Ozpin chuckled, "Ah yes, I remembered that. I do believe that's the first and last time you and your…"

"Don't remind me, Oz. Don't remind me." He shivered.

Winter seemed to enjoy Qrow's uneasiness by smiling sadistically. This, however, seemed to have unnerved her little sister.

"Um, Winter. Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, Weiss. I'm just enjoying the show."

**Several grunts that were securing the perimeter converged towards their sergeant, weapons posed as Simin jumped out onto the docks.**

**The Sergeant tried to sit up but could only partially lift himself halfway. Seeing that he was in no condition to fight, he ordered his men to attack. They surrounded Simin and lunged at him with their melee weapons, buying their sergeant time to get up and recover.**

**Simin took this opportunity to infuse Fire Dust into his ice sword, causing an explosion of thick mist that temporarily cut their vision. Providing precious time for Simin to deliver his final attack.**

**The mist quickly cleared away, revealing that Simin was nowhere to be seen. His opponents**** looked around, confused. Wondering where their attacker went. **

**The Sergeant however, quickly caught on and looked up.**

**Simin was soaring through the skies. The full moon illuminating the scene as the markings on Simin's jacket turned green. A spinning vortex of green wind solidified and formed a large lance-like weapon in his hand as he prepared his final attack.**

Ruby was now drooling, with Penny and Yang wiping away the saliva from her mouth.

"Gross, Ruby." Yang muttered with annoyance.

"Eheheh." Ruby dazedly giggled, not taking notice of her sister or Penny.

**Simin aimed and threw his wind lance down onto the ground where the Sergeant was standing. The White Fang tried to scatter, but it was too late. The wind lance hit the ground and expanded into a towering tornado, pulling them into the twister.**

"An impressive usage of Wind Dust, I must say," Glynda said with approval.

Ozpin nodded in agreement, "And to utilize them with great proficiency; this young man is quite talented."

**The tornado continued to spin, sucking all the White Fang goons into the twister and spun them in the air for a few seconds before dissipating. The Sergeant laid at the center of what was the twister, unconscious as Simin landed, followed by the rest falling onto the hard floor of the dock.**

**Simin slowly stood up as the screen slowly fades into black.**

**A silhouette of Simin slowly appeared and pushed to the far left, leaving three more rooms for the rest of his teammates to appear.**

The screen died down as the lights returned to the theater room, signaling that the viewing was over, for now.

"That. Was. Awesome!" Ruby cheered as she jumped from her seat. "Oh my gosh, did you see his weapon?! The rotatory system that he used for his Dust infused clothes was amazing! We could make something similar for ourselves, maybe have it on our belt or accessory, and, and…"

Yang quickly placed a hand over Ruby's mouth. "Okay, we get it. And I will admit, that thing was really cool."

"I have devised several concepts that we could design in order to mimic the device that was shown on screen," Penny said.

"Can you forward that to me as well, Penny," Ironwood asked.

"Of course!"

_"We are glad that you enjoyed the presentation. Please take this moment to ask questions before we get started on the next presentation."_

Ironwood went first, "Where are we?"

_"A realm outside of time and reality."_

"How?"

_"We are afraid that is beyond your ability to comprehend."_

Ironwood frowned at this but didn't say anything as Ozpin asked the next question.

"Why did you bring us here?"

_"That too is beyond your ability to comprehend."_

The adults raised their eyebrow, "What do you mean?"

_"There are no words to describe our intentions. It is beyond your understanding."_

"Then try us." Qrow jeered.

_"Your minds will be rendered beyond reality if we were to do so."_

"Oh…"

Ruby's hand shot up, "Oh, oh! I have a question." Her weapon hype still hasn't died down.

_"Ask and you shall receive."_

"What's the weapon the red-haired boy used in the movie?"

"What's his name," Ozpin added.

_"His name is Simin Megistus, leader of Team SLVR." _The adults took note of this, especially Ozpin and Glynda. _"His weapon is called Kore Kosmou. It is used in conjunction with his jacket known as the Specialized Dust Projection Jacket. SDPJ for short."_

Winter and Penny wrote that down while Ruby was gushing about the design and function.

"You said that this Simin Megistus is the leader of Team SLVR, why are you showing us their performance? Their story?" Ozpin questioned. Deep in his mind, Ozpin assumed that Team SLVR may play an important role in the future of Remnant. Possibly in the upcoming battle against Salem and her forces.

_"We will leave it to your own device on why we are showing you this."_

"Very well, then I assume that we will soon be seeing the rest of Team SLVR, correct?"

_"That is correct."_

"More weapons!" Ruby gasped.

"Oh no…" Yang moaned as Ruby bounced up and down.

"You dolt," Weiss snapped at her partner, "don't get too work up about this! Why are you suddenly so obsessed weapons?"

"I was always a weapon nerd, Weiss." Ruby huffed.

"You didn't do it to ours."

"Well…"

_"Additional guests will be arriving soon. Familiar and friendly faces. At least, for now."_

This raised a red flag for everyone.

"What do you mean?" Ironwood demanded.

_"As the presentation progresses, we will be receiving more guests. Some of them may have animosity towards others."_

"What?!"

Ozpin frowned, thinking about Salem and her group. "Who will be joining us?" He asked, but his question was ignored.

_"This is a truce zone. Our domain. Our world. Our law and we guarantee to you, our guest. Is that none will be harmed in our realm."_

Ozpin was about to open his mouth but was quickly cut off with a single word occupying the screen.

_"Silence."_

Everybody shut their mouth, not wanting to anger the entity or entities.

_"The guests have arrived."_

Sun and Neptune appeared out of nowhere and landed onto the cushioned seat. They blinked several times before coming to terms with what had happened.

"Hold up," Sun started, "where are we? Wait, Blake?!"

"Sun?"

"Neptune!" Weiss exclaimed, happy to see the blue-haired boy. Winter, on the other hand, glared daggers at the boy.

"Snow angel? What are you doing here?"

_"The last batch of guests has arrived."_

Team CFVY followed suit, arriving in the same fashion Sun and Neptune did.

"… I don't remember the mall's theater being this big." Coco said as her shade slowly slide down from her face.

"Hey, it's Coco and Velvet! Oh, and their teammates as well." Yang greeted them.

"I am Yatsuhashi, and this is Fox."

Fox greeted them with a nod.

"Uh, what's going on here?" Velvet asked.

Everyone started talking, trying to explain the situation only to make it worse until Ironwood had enough and took control of the conversation.

"Everyone!" He snapped, gaining their attention. "Sit down. Our Hosts will try to explain everything as best as we can, but please. Sit down and listen."

Sun, Neptune, and Team CFVY sat down as the adults, minus Qrow, along with the help of the mysterious screen explained the situation.

/-/

After the explanation was over, the newcomers had an unreadable expression.

"Okay." Was all Sun could say with everyone nodding in agreement.

"Um, something is wrong with Anesidora." Velvet spoke up as she brought out her camera/weapon. "Some of its functions aren't working."

Coco heaved her duel functioning handbag, Gianduja, that is also a minigun and tried to summon said gun. Nothing happened. "You're right... Hey! Whatever your name is, screen god or something. What did you do?"

_"We have rendered some of your tools nonfunctional. Rest assured, they will resume their regular status once you leave our realm. You may refer to us as the Hosts."_

"A fitting name," Winter mumbled.

_"We have gone on long enough. Please direct your attention to the screen. The next presentation is about to begin."_

* * *

**NEXT: SLVR "Linen" Trailer**

**I plan on doing ALL of SLVR trailers.**

**_I also strongly advise you to watch the SLVR Trailer on YouTube. The animations gets better as it goes on._**

* * *

**Pardon my grammar, spelling, and sequences description.**

* * *

**Future Chapters:**

**All of SLVR Trailers including the Charcoal one **

**Battlefield 1 Cutscenes - Maybe the opening intro**

**The Last Samurai - Final battle or Forest battle**

**Ultimate Project: Saving Private Ryan - This one is hard to put out**

**More to come, but I would rather have the RWBY cast react to Earth History and Wars. 'Fake' or Real.**


	3. SLVR Linen Trailer

**I do not own RWBY or SLVR.**

**All characters belong to their respective owners:**

**SLVR - Mark Zhang**

**RWBY - Rooster Teeth**

**_I also strongly advise you to watch the SLVR Trailer on YouTube. The animations gets better as it goes on._**

* * *

**SLVR "Linen" Trailer**

* * *

**The screen turned black as texts fade in on the screen:**

**"Jump first. If your destination is worth the risk, you'll figure out a landing strategy by the time you hit the ground."**

Ozpin smiled and nodded at the quote on the screen, ignoring the stares he got from most of his peers. His deputy rolled her eyes knowing how much the Headmaster loves to see his students getting launched into the sky.

"Some things never change," Qrow mutters.

**The camera panned out showing the ruined cities that once populated Mountain Glenn. Standing atop on one of the buildings is a young man with bleach blond hair spiked upwards, his black bodysuit worn over by a white fur vest.**

"Mountain Glenn."

"Indeed, Glynda. It seems like Mountain Glenn will be where this setting is taking place. Dr. Oobleck would have a field day with this."

**This young man is named Lycan Arcadia, a member of Team SLVR. Lycan surveyed his surrounding areas before jumping down from the building, to continue his investigation.**

**The scene cuts to a bullhead buried in rubble, Beowolves crawling around it. They sniffed the air with one of them straying from the pack as it scouts the area. As the lone Beowolf walked closer towards a building, it seemed to have sensed something as it jerked its head up to see Lycan landing on it, breaking its neck upon impact.**

**Lycan drop rolled and lunged towards the Beowolves. He targeted two nearby Beowolves, delivering two roundhouse kicks and sending them flying in the opposite direction. One of them slammed into the bullhead, quickly recovering as it tried to attack Lycan; only to be swiftly dispatched by a punch and a kick.**

This got a nod from a certain blond girl. "I like his style."

"Of course, you do." Weiss rolled her eyes.

"His uniform reminds me of the White Fang's," Blake said causing her entire team to look at her. "Just the color scheme." She said quickly.

"His fashion sense is decent," Coco commented.

Sun sighed, "Blake, you really need to stop being obsessed with the White Fang." It was almost as if 'White Fang' was her triggered word.

"O-obsessed?" She glared at him with an incredulous expression.

"Yeah, yeah. Style and terrorism aside, this kid really knows how to throw his punch and kicks." Qrow said as he drank from a bottle. After gulping down half of its content; he resumed his critique. "All of his attacks were calculated and precise; meant to bring down an opponent with minimal action. Something very valuable out on the field. You should learn something out of that, Yang."

Winter stared at the drunk man, "Since when were you this analytical?"

"Cool it, Ice Queen. I was a teacher at Signal."

**Another Beowolf lunged at him with both of its arms clawed and out, intending to tear the offender apart. Without breaking the momentum, Lycan intercepted the Beowolf's attack, wrapping his arms around its waist and German suplex it, crushing its head into the ground.**

"I'm liking this guy even more," Yang said with a smirk.

"He is very efficient despite not using a weapon," Yatsuhashi noted as Velvet was taking pictures, without the camera flash, of course.

Ruby seemed to be devastated at that, "No weapons?"

"I'm certain we'll get there, eventually," Pyrrha assured her.

"Yeah, a few Beowolves aren't really that much of a problem," Neptune added in.

**The dead Beowolf was kicked away from the bullhead wreckage as Lycan jumped onto the bullhead, scouring around the wreckage. Finding nothing, he jumped down into the bullhead and the screen quickly fade to black.**

"He seems to be searching for something."

"It appears so." Ironwood nodded. "I wonder what he could be looking for."

**The scene cut to Lycan walking down the streets, ignoring the Grimms that had spotted him out in the open. One of them was prowling around the roof before leaping down on its prey.**

**He didn't bother to glance up, throwing a knife at the Beowolf in the air. The Grimm plopped to the ground, its head impaled by the knife that he had thrown. Several Beowolves had gathered around him; blocking his path, but were easily slain as he produced another knife and killed three of them with ease.**

"Where is he getting the knives from?" Jaune asked.

Pyrrha answered him, "Most likely from the white bracer he's wearing."

Meanwhile, Ruby's leg was bouncing, anticipating the reveal of Lycan's weapon. Sure, the knives did count as weapons, but she knows that there was more to it.

**The Beowolves didn't stand a chance against Lycan as they were quickly slain with just a few strikes. Seeing that they didn't stand a chance, one of the Beowolves howled into the sky, calling for reinforcement from its brethren.**

**They converged at Lycan's location, proving to be nothing but cannon fodders as they were swiftly killed before they could even gain a numeric advantage.**

"Not every kill has to be powerful, or extravagant," Glynda said to her students as she watched the young man on-screen eliminating the Grimms without any flair. "That goes especially for you, Ms. Valkyrie."

Nora choked on her pancakes and chuckled nervously as her professor turned to glare at her.

**As Lycan slaughtered the surrounding Grimms, a white Beowolf appeared and lunged towards the spiky-haired youth. Lycan's leg shot out, kicking the white Beowolf knee in and uppercutting it, sending the unique Grimm into the air.**

"Hold up." Weiss put up a finger, "Was that Beowolf colored white?!"

"Unless you're colorblind. Yes." Qrow responded helpfully.

"Coloration aside, it didn't seem to be anything special," Neptune noted with Weiss nodding at Neptune's assessment.

The rest of the adults had an intriguing look.

"Professor Port would certainly like to see this specimen. Dr. Oobleck as well. A shame they're not here." Ozpin said.

"I took several pictures of it, Headmaster Ozpin. I would be happy to share it with them." Velvet spoke up.

"Thank you, Miss Scarlatina. They would be very grateful."

_"Your colleagues will be joining us, eventually."_

**Lycan's arm brace, the Wrist Holstered Dagger Talons, started to shift revealing his weapon; Razorbolt.**

From the audience, Ruby giggled; causing Coco to give her an odd look. The fashionista glanced at Yang, who merely shrugged in response.

On the other spectrum, Velvet was snapping photos so that she could incorporate Lycan's fighting style into her weapon and semblance.

**He dashed towards the falling white Beowolf, slicing through its body like butter and proceeded to decimate the rest of the surrounding Beowolves. Yet, despite slaughtering Grimms left and right with frightening speed. A single Beowolf managed to land a blow on the spiky-haired boy.**

"He let his guard down," Neptune stated as a matter of flatly.

Glynda nodded, "Indeed. A lesson to be learned, children. It doesn't matter if you're skilled enough to eliminate a large group of Grimms. If you let your guard down, you will be caught off guard. Simple as that."

"That's also a bad move on the Grimm's part," Yang smirked.

**Lycan glared at the Beowolf, his golden eyes glowing as he tore the Beowolf apart with a grunt and continued his onslaught. Grimms were flung into the air, already hacked into pieces as Lycan lashed out violently against the horde.**

**The scene cut to a Beowolf trying to crawl away from the aftermath of the carnage only to be stomped on by Lycan, who was looking bored.**

**His boredom quickly faded as he heard the sound of heavy footsteps heading towards him over a wall. Another unique Beowolf burst into the scene, its cluster of spines made it stood out from the rest of the Beowolves. Thw Grimm ****possessed even more armor than an Alpha, a series of bone-like spines extruded from its shoulder, thighs, and forearms. A long sword-like spike was coming out of each wrist, and it has a unique mask; two thick horns growing out of it.**

The unique Grimm appearance seemed to catch the audience off guard.

"Another unique Beowolf?" Weiss asked, inspecting the intimidating Grimm on the screen.

"Maybe a different variant?" Neptune scratched his head. "I heard that certain Grimms in different environments change their behavior, and sometimes, their appearance."

"That sounds like a decent hypothesis." The heiress replied, "I can't believe I'm saying this, but I wished Professor Port was here."

"Professor Port would most certainly like to see this." Glynda sighed, "Despite his… Bombastic stories and behavior, he is quite passionate when it comes to studying Grimms."

Meanwhile, Ironwood leaned towards Ozpin and whispered, "I never seen this sort of Beowolf before. What do you make of it?"

Ozpin face was impassive. "I wouldn't put it past Salem to create a new variant, but let's not jump to conclusions."

**Lycan barred his teeth and grinned, revealing rows of sharp teeth.**

Blake blinked, "He's a faunus, huh."

There were certain faunus that is almost indistinguishable from humans unless one takes a closer look at their features.

"Didn't see that coming." Sun agreed.

"Not White Fang, Blake." Yang said jokingly, "Not everyone who wears white and red is a –"

"I didn't say anything." Blake huffed as she elbows her partner in the ribs.

"Sorry, sorry." Yang laughed, "Hope I didn't offend anyone."

**He cracked his knuckles and readied himself to fight the heavily armored Grimm.**

**The Beowolf let out a mighty roar but was silenced halfway as a large blade impaled itself through the back of its head, killing the Beowolf in an instant.**

"Well, that was a disappointment." Qrow snorted before frowning at the next scene. "What's that?"

**An armored humanoid android wielding duel broadsword stood on top of the slain Beowolf. It pulled its sword out of the corpse and heaved it over its shoulder, molten eyes blazing as it pointed another sword at Lycan, challenging him to a fight.**

Penny frowned, "That appears to be some sort of combat android. Not one that I am familiar with."

"So cool!" Ruby stared eyes wide at the mechanical knight, ignoring the context.

"Another one of Atlas's toys? Jimmy?"

Ironwood shook his head, "As Penny stated, this is the first time we have seen this sort of model. What's it doing out there? It appears to be alone."

"… I believe this was what the faunus was looking for." Winter said as she watched the fight played out on the screen.

**The Armor shot towards Lycan, forcing him on the defensive as its large sword clashed against his clawed gauntlet. He managed to land a blow against the heavily armored foe, but that proved to be fruitless as it didn't even damage the mechanical knight.**

**Despite wielding two large broadswords and possessing no aura, the Armor proved to be a capable combatant as it swung its massive blade with ease. Lycan narrowly dodged its attack, leaping over its blade and positioning himself behind the Armor.**

"It's strong," Blake noted. She had dealt with the Atlas's military androids before, but unless they were large like the Spider Droid, they tend to be not as impressive. This particular android, on the other hand, proved to be a dangerous opponent for the faunus on screen.

"It is." Ironwood agreed with his arms crossed. He already had Winter and Penny writing notes down on the android on screen. If they can replicate the one on screen, Atlas will have a huge boost in its military, all while lowering military causalities.

Blake, on the other hand, didn't seem to enjoy the fact that the Atlesians were taking note of this but didn't protest.

"It could be a Grimm possessing the android, similar to the Arma Gigas Grimm I fought during my concert," Weiss added in, remembering how she received her scar from that day. She then frowned, "But if that's the case, it wouldn't be killing another Grimm, would it?"

"Regardless, that is still a possibility," Winter said as she wrote that down.

**Lycan crossed blades with the Armor once more, only to be slammed in the guts and launched into the sky with a fierce slash from both swords. The mechanical knight stabbed both of its swords on the ground as its eyes glowed bright orange, launching a concentrated fireball at the falling faunus, who narrowly dodged it. The fireball continued its trajectory before erupting in an explosion high above the skies.**

"It has ranged capabilities. A destructive one no less." Winter mused.

**The faunus landed flat on his back against the rooftop with the Armor not far behind. He jumped back up just in time to avoid a crushing blow from the Armor as they resumed their duel. Their blades sparked against one another, Lycan slowly lost his ground, never gaining an edge against his armored opponent.**

**Then he saw an an opening. Lycan spun around and delivered a fierce kick onto his opponent's torso only to find that that the impact barely moved it. In retaliation, the Armor swiped at Lycan's feet, knocking him off balance and smashed him through the cemented rooftop. ****Lycan hit the earth and stumbled to his feet, holding his head with one hand as his opponent jumped down from the roof and quickly kicked him into a pillar. It crossed its blade into an X and slammed it against Lycan's Razorbolt.**

"Come on, you can do it." Yang encouraged the faunus on the screen. "Cut that tin can into scraps!"

"Break its legs!" Nora joined in after eating all the pancakes she could handle.

**As their blades grind against one another the faunus grinned as his pale, translucent clone materialized and slammed its foot into the Armor's face driving it back. Lycan pressed on the offense, using his clones to disorientate his opponent as he struck against the armored foe multiple times in quick succession.**

"Hey, that's similar to my semblance!" Sun exclaimed.

_"Lycan's semblance is mixed between yours and Blake's. He can send out one clone at a time that will last for a single hit."_ The Hosts explained.

"So, Blake and Sun had a baby and was trained by yours truly?" Yang said while wiggling her eyebrows at Blake.

Both faunus sputtered on this with Sun looking away and Blake glaring at the blondie, her cheeks slowly turning red.

_"You can put it like that, yes."_

Yang laughed as Blake proceeded to strangle her, failing miserably as she put Blake in a headlock.

Glynda shook her head, "Children, please."

"So, that's his name. Lycan." Beacon's headmaster mumbled to himself.

**A Dust cartridge housing four different types of Dust was briefly seen as Lycan quickly snapped them into Razorbolt, preparing to use them in conjunction with his semblance.**

Ruby squealed as her sister rolled her eyes. "Ugh, my baby sister's innocence is tainted by her lust of weapons."

"Quiet, Yang!"

**The Armor picked itself up as Lycan calmly walked towards his opponent, sending out his clone to attack, only for it to be cut down as the Armor stomp towards Lycan, not slowing down by the faunus's semblance.**

**As it raised its sword to strike down one clone after another, one of them suddenly solidified into stone, headbutting the Armor in the chest and causing it to lose balance. Lycan immediately took advantage of this and attacked the mechanical knight with blistering speed.**

"Yup. He's definitely yours, Blake." Yang nudged at Blake who promptly snarled and looked away.

Weiss took this opportunity to get back at her faunus teammate for leaving her questionable reads on her bed. "I agree with that sentiment, Yang. It's not hard to imagine what your offspring would be like. Especially with Yang around..."

"Hey!"

"W-Weiss?! What did I do to you?!"

"You left your books on my bed, and those weren't school textbooks." The heirless replied, not wanting Winter to know of the whole incident.

**The Armor fell flat on its face allowing Lycan to kick the mechanical knight into the air and summoned a clone made of fire. The fire clone smashed down onto the Armor's head, causing the ground the explode and dropping the android into the underground carven.**

**Midair, the Armor clenched its fist as it recovered, making cracks in the carven floor as it landed. It quickly stood up and glared at Lycan as he barreled down with the full moon in display in the sky.**

"There's that full moon again," Weiss mumbled.

Ozpin hummed for a bit, "At times when the planet and moon are rotated in a certain way, our shattered moon can appear to be whole. While rare, this phenomenon does happen ever so often."

Weiss had a thoughtful look before remembering her obsolete lessons way back in her childhood, "Oh, I recalled having a lesson on that with one of my tutors. It was a one-off lesson and a trivial one."

"Know it all."

**As Lycan descends upon his opponent, the Armor's eyes glowed very brightly as it charged up its most powerful attack. Lycan knew that he won't be able to reach the mechanical knight on time, not without help. He summoned his clone and had it launch him towards the Armor, smashing into the mechanical knight with great force, sending his armored opponent into the ground as Razorbolt buried itself deep into the Armor's visor.**

**The android's head shook violently and started to glow orange, overheating as it wasn't able to unleash its charged attack. No longer capable of containing the stored energy, it exploded; shaking the entire cavern and ending to the Armor once and for all.**

**In the midst of the explosion, Lycan managed to escape; losing one of his claws in the process as he watched the pieces of the Armor raining down on the paved floor. The camera panned over towards the Armor's visor still sporting one of Razorbolt's claw lodged in its eyes. Lycan snatched up the visor, along with the claw and walked away.**

**Screen fading to black.**

After a moment of silence, Nora was the first to speak up. "That explosion... It was awesome!"

"Yes, Nora. It was." Ren sighed as he pulled the energetic girl down to her chair before she could bounce around the room. Nora did put a lot of maple syrup into her pancakes.

"I liked that one," Yang said with a savage grin as she hounds in on Blake. "We get to see Blakey and Sunny little boy all grown up."

"I swear, Yang… I will end you!"

Ozpin drank from his mug, relishing his drink. "Who was it that we just saw?" He asked.

_"Lycan Arcadia. A wolf faunus who is part of Team SLVR."_ The Hosts replied.

"Thank you."

_"You are welcome. We will now be adding more guests to the roster. Though we must warn you that the next batch of guests may not be to your liking."_

Everyone tensed up. "Who will be joining us?" Ironwood asked.

_"Roman Torchwick and his associate Neo Politan."_

"What?!" Team RWBY cried out, along with Winter.

"You can't be serious?!" Winter shouted, "We've just captured Torchwick, and you're just going to free him?!"

"Yeah!" Ruby and Blake agreed.

"Calm yourself, Specialist Winter," Ironwood commanded with a stern expression.

"Indeed." Ozpin sighs, "May we ask why though?"

_"We are neutral. We do not discriminate."_

Qrow empty out the content of another bottle before dropping it out of existent. "Well, might as well get this over with."

On cue, Roman and Neo appeared at a different section already seated on their cushioned chair. Neo was the first to react as she shot up and surveyed the room, her eyes narrowing at the cast before her.

"You!" Yang growled as she spotted the familiar young woman that one-sidedly sweep the floor with her.

Ironwood and Winter leered at Roman who was trying to make sense of his surroundings.

"Oookay… Neo? Let's get out of here." Roman said urgently as he got off from his seat and stood behind his partner in crime.

Qrow snorted at that, "Good luck."

Neo frowned as she realized that she didn't have her weapon with her. Even more so, she couldn't use her semblance here.

_"Your semblance will not work here, but rest assured you are safe. We are your Hosts, allow us to welcome you to our domain. Please make yourself comfortable as another batch of guests will be arriving soon."_

"I must be dreaming," Roman muttered wishing he could smoke right now. At that moment, a pack of Remnant's finest cigar appeared before him with a lighter, catching the thief off guard. "I am dreaming." He said as he accepted the pack and lit up his cigar. "Ah, just what I needed. Let's take a seat, dream Neo. Ow!"

Neo had kicked Roman in the shin with an upset expression. She produced a sign out of thin air that stated the following, "I'm real."

He stared at the sign for a moment before laughing, prompting her to kick him again.

"Please tell me we won't suffer from secondhand smoking," Winter said with disgust.

_"You will not. Rest assured."_

"So… Where are we?" Roman asked, "If I'm not dreaming right now, ow! Neo, if you would kindly please stop kicking me?"

_"We will explain your situation as soon as the last batch of guest arrives."_

It turns out that their next guests are none other than Cinder, Emerald, and Mercury; who appeared a few rows in front of Roman and Neo.

"Hey, it's Cinder and her teammates from Haven!" Ruby waved them hello.

"C-Cinder?!" Roman sputtered as his cigar fell from his mouth.

Cinder glanced at her surroundings, realizing that she was in the presence of her enemies. Ozpin, Ironwood, Qrow… The list goes on. With her quick thinking, Cinder shushed her two lackeys and played the innocent game. She didn't know what was going on, but she kept her mind calm and open.

"How do you know my name?" She replied, her eyes burning into Roman's socket.

Roman opened his mouth but shut it instantly, fearing for his life.

_"Silence."_ The Hosts commanded, causing everyone to freeze. After a moment of silence, they started their greeting._ "Welcome to our domain."_

/-/

Roman and Neo sat comfortably away from Cinder and co., while the secretly sinister trio was enjoying their snacks.

"I see. This will be entertaining." Cinder purred as she rested her arms on the armrest. Her mistress will definitely want to hear about this.

However, she knows that whoever these Hosts are, they are definitely not someone or something Salem could face off against. It was also blatantly clear that the Hosts know of her true allegiance, yet it seemed that they do not have the slightest concern about it. They were, in a sense, nothing to them. Plain and simple.

Nonetheless, this place intrigued her greatly.

"Eh, I got nothing better to do anyway." Mercury shrugged as he rested his feet on a footrest that he called up. "So, what are we watching?"

"We're watching Team SLVR and their adventures!" Ruby explained excitedly, "There was this guy named Simin who had this awesome rotatory system on his jacket that lets him infuse Dust on his clothes and –"

"Okay, Ruby. That's enough. You can explain that to them after we get a short break." Yang turned towards the screen, eyebrows raised.

_"Correct. After the viewing of Team SLVR is completed, we will provide you a short break. Without further ado, let's begin the next presentation."_

* * *

**NEXT: SLVR "Viridian" Trailer**

**I plan on doing ALL of SLVR trailers.**

**_I also strongly advise you to watch the SLVR Trailer on YouTube. The animations gets better as it goes on._**

* * *

**Pardon my grammar, spelling, and sequences description.**

* * *

**Special thanks to DarkThunderbird1604 for helping me resolve the moon explanation. That should throw them off. **


	4. SLVR Viridian Trailer

**I do not own RWBY or SLVR.**

**All characters belong to their respective owners:**

**SLVR - Mark Zhang**

**RWBY - Rooster Teeth**

**_I also strongly advise you to watch the SLVR Trailer on YouTube. The animations gets better as it goes on._**

* * *

**SLVR "Viridian" Trailer**

* * *

**The screen turned black as texts fade in on the screen:**

**"Do not fear the premonitions of the defeated. Through imperfect and difficult, the journey ahead never leads to a dead end."**

"What does premonitions mean?" Ruby asked.

"I believe it means a strong feeling that something bad is about to happen," Weiss replied with a frown. She can't exactly recall every single word in the dictionary.

"Know it all."

"Hey! Your sister asked."

**The scene opens up on a terrain littered with boulders. The camera slowly pans to a rift as someone ran past the shot, followed by two more figures as their heavy footsteps shook the ground in their pursuit.**

"Off to a great start," Qrow grumbled.

**The camera cuts to a different angle, a young woman with turquoise hair wrapped in a ponytail swiftly ran across the screen; pursuit by unknown forces. She came to a halt on a cliff, overseeing the frozen water below. **

**Her light gray blouse billowed in the wind as she gazed across the horizon. Gray mist and frozen water as far as the eyes can see. Behind her, a green sword and shield with a red accent appeared in front of the camera. **

**Her pursuers had successfully cornered her.**

**The young woman turned and faced her pursuers, and in turn; faced the camera. Her name is Vella Moisia, the third member of Team SLVR. Vella's turquoise eyes studied her pursuers, looking crestfallen before her expression changed to resolute.**

"Love the outfit." Coco whistled as she leaned on Fox, "What do you think of it?"

"Eh."

"I wonder who's chasing her," Pyrrha said, feeling a bit worried for the girl on screen.

**The camera quickly pans over revealing her pursuers. Two identically designed androids stood side by side. Their bulky exoskeletons were jagged, and they sported a helmet adorned with six horns above their colored visor. **

**Each wielded a different weapon. The lighter grey android with green visor carried a katana, while the other one with the red visor wielded a large shield over its left arm; held by a single grip.**

Mercury wasn't impressed, "She's running away from androids? Really? Don't tell me she's scared of their 'imitating' looks." He said, ignoring the glare that Emerald gave him.

"Winter, Penny. Take notes if you please." Ironwood's eyes were focused on the screen. The androids, while looking similar to the Altesian Knight-130 had a dangerous air to them. It could be their appearance and the odd weapons they wield, but he couldn't shake the feeling that they were a cut above any android.

Aside from Penny, of course.

"Yes, sir." They both replied.

"Oh great. Another one of Atlas's scrap metal toys to produce." Qrow snarked, earning him a smack across the head by Glynda.

"Just keep making them, tinman." Roman jeered as he lit another cigar. "Makes things a whole lot easier."

**Vella narrowed her eyes as she stepped back and let herself fall backward, closing her eyes as she fell into the mist below her. The androids seemed shocked by this as they glanced at each other and made a mad dash towards the cliff.**

"She jumped?! At that height?!" Jaune cried out.

Glynda nodded grimly, "Some would rather perish than be captured by their enemies."

"It looks like these androids were sent to capture her, not eliminate her judging by their reaction," Penny noted as she wrote on her large notepad.

**The Shield Droid jumped over the cliff, followed by the Sword Droid, using its shield as a platform and launching itself towards Vella. The young woman opened her eyes as the Sword Droid was catching up to her. It held out its arm, reaching towards her as the android got closer.**

**Just when it was about to reach her, Vella activated her weapon with a click. She swiftly unholstered her Bladed Compound Sniper Bow, Chatareus, and fired. The bullet struck the Sword Droid in the head, sending it flying back as its shield counterpart dove past it.**

"Oooh, is that a compacted rifle? It must have another function if those handles are anything to go by!" Ruby said excitedly. It wasn't every day she gets to see huntsman and huntresses use their weapons for real.

**Vella fired several rounds at the Shield Droid only to have them blocked as it raised its shield and bashed her. The Shield Droid swung its shield again, only to miss as Vella kicked off the side of the cliff. She dodged another of its attack and shot the android in the head; sending it downward.**

**After taking the Shield Droid temporary out of the fight, Vella turned her attention to the descending Sword Droid and blocked an attack with Chatareus. They slashed and parried as they fell; the Sword Droid then thrust its sword nearly nicking Vella by the neck. **

**In retaliation, Vella twisted her body and gave the Sword Droid a fierce kick; sending it into the side of the mountain.**

"Nice kick." Mercury praised with a grin.

"I'm in an agreement with you on that." Cinder nodded. Emerald stuttered, trying to follow along with her mistress, but Cinder shushed her as she leaned closer to her ear. "Knowledge is power. Emerald. Write down any observation you or I, may have."

"Y-yes, ma'am."

**The android caught itself by digging its claws into the mountainside and launched itself, using the walls as a platform. It swung its sword at Vella, missing as she bent backward and planted both of her feet on its stomach. A blue binding glyph appeared behind its back as she kickoff from the Sword Droid.**

"Looks like we'll be seeing her semblance." Glynda mused.

"Hey, Ice Queen." Yang nudged Weiss.

"No." The heiress denied flatly, knowing the blondie's full intention. "My glyphs look nothing like that. Professor Goodwitch also utilized similar glyphs as well."

"I'm interested in seeing what her semblance can do," Ren said as he was interested in what the girl on screen can do. Nora stared intently at him, but he didn't seem to notice or ignored her intense stare.

**Vella lunged towards the Shield Droid below and viciously slashed multiple times at its shield. Her attacks proved to be successful as the Shield Droid couldn't keep up and was left wide open. Vella gave it an axe kick sending the android flying headfirst into the frozen water below, landing with a crash and making a sizable hole in the frozen surface. **

**Vella then raised her hand into the air at the Sword Droid. Her blue glyph rotated around her wrist as it resonated with the glyph behind the android's back, pulling it down, while the glyph on Vella's wrist slowed her fall allowing her to land on the frozen surface safely.**

"So, that's what her glyphs does."

"Professor Goodwitch?" Weiss turned towards the deputy.

"It appears to be some sort of binding glyph. Is that correct, Hosts?"

_"You are correct. She is capable of binding glyphs to objects and accelerates them towards each other."_

"If I may, what is the name of this young woman?" Ozpin asked.

_"Her name is Vella Moisia. The third member of Team SLVR."_

Cinder narrowed her eyes while Emerald wrote it down. She heard of this Team SLVR from the silver-eyed girl called Ruby, but she didn't have time to ask for more information about it. Who is this Team SLVR and why are they watching them?

**From the crater, the Shield Droid had started to climb out. Its hand already clawing at the edge of the crater as it pulled itself out of the pit. Vella seemed to be aware of this, but her attention was cut short as the Sword Droid landed heavily on the frozen surface nearly crushing her.**

**The Sword Droid pressed on the attack, deflecting the shots fired from Chatareus and swung its blade at her with precision. Vella blocked all of its initial attacks and gracefully leap over the android as it lunged at her again.**

Sun blinked, "Did you see how that green robot quickly shifted the grip on its sword multiple times when it deflected those shots?"

"Yeah." Blake nodded numbly. Out of all her raids during her times in the White Fang, she had never encountered an android that fights like the ones on the screen.

"It certainly demonstrated skills beyond what I saw from Atlas military androids," Weiss said to which Ironwood and Winter nodded.

"None of our androids possessed this sort of combat capability. Though, there is a chance that it is being remotely controlled by somebody…" Ironwood mused, "Who made these androids?" He asked the Hosts.

_"We cannot disclose that."_

"That's unfortunate." He sighed.

**As Vella landed on the ground, her eyes dart to the side as the Shield Droid charged at her from behind. She ducked as it swung its shield, but the android turned around and backhand her, knocking Vella back.**

**Vella used this momentum to fall back, shifted Chatareus into its bow form and winked as she fired, blowing the Sword Droid back with a bullet to its visor.**

"Yes!" Ruby cheered, "I've been waiting for this! I can't believe her weapon is a bow rifle! It even got blades on the edge so that she can use it as a melee weapon! And it looked like her attacks just gotten more powerful! And, and –"

"Okay, Rubes. We get it. You can ask the Hosts later if you want to know more."

From the other section, Cinder smirked in approval of the girl's weapon of choice. "She certainly has an aesthetic choice in her weaponry." Cinder may not rely on her bow that often, but when she does; it often means business. From the looks of it, the girl on the screen means it too.

**The Sword Droid flew back from the impact and was promptly batted away by its shield counterpart as it dashed towards Vella. She fired two rounds and parried its attack, successfully slashing at the Shield Droid's legs. **

**It staggered back before lunging at her again, only to have its attack intercepted. The Shield Droid skittered back as Vella spin heel kicked the android and leveled her weapon; readied to fire.**

"You go, girl!" Yang applauded.

"Break their legs!"

Velvet was furiously snapping away at her camera, taking in all the contents and movements.

Coco glanced at her and frowned, "Easy Velvet, you're going to short-circuit yourself and your camera."

**However, the Sword Droid snuck up behind her; forcing her to switch target. It swung its sword over its head, smashing down on Chatareus and knocking Vella onto the icy floor. Vella kept her momentum and rolled back, flipping over as she avoided a crushing blow from the Shield Droid as it slammed its shield onto the icy floor.**

**Vella slid back as the Shield Droid bashed its shield against her weapon, followed by the Sword Droid jumping in and glided through her position. The Sword Droid stood its ground and formed a Ko Gasumi stance while the Shield Droid had its shield out, ready to strike. **

**The androids lunged at her, keeping Vella on edge as she parried both of their attacks and knocked them back with a spin. She leaped into the air, kicking off the Sword Droid and fired her Chatareus at the Shield Droid, causing it to hit the floor from the impact. The Sword Droid backflipped and landed on the icy floor before charging at Vella. Their blades sparked against one another as they fought.**

"Those androids appear to be well-coordinated," Ironwood remarked.

Winter nodded, "I have never seen our military androids act or move like this. At least, not without efficiency."

"All the more reason to study the ones on the screen. If only Dr. Polendina was here." The general murmured.

"Father would be very intrigued by this."

**Recalculating its approach, the Sword Droid crouched and leaped into the air; landing near Vella as it swung its blade upwards forcing her back. She slid against the frozen floor right into the hands of the Shield Droid who quickly delivered a roundhouse kick, slamming her against the mountainside. The Shield Droid quickly moved up and grabbed her by the neckline and fiercely threw her onto the ground. **

**Vella tumbled on the icy floor, sliding as the screen slowly faded black.**

"Oh no!" Ruby cried out.

Qrow winced when the Shield Droid threw the young woman onto the icy floor. "Ouch, those tin cans really don't play around."

Glynda nodded, "Their combat capabilities rival that of a huntress-in-training despite not possessing any aura. From what we gathered; they weren't trying to kill this young woman, only capture her. This means that they could be holding back. We may not be seeing their full potential…"

"But who could create androids that can fight on par with huntress-in-training?" Weiss asked. Atlas, for all its scientific prowess, has never found a way to substitute huntsmen through their soldiers and androids.

"Someone with brains, ice queen." Roman sarcastically remarked.

"Yeah, flatty." Neo's sign said.

"Hey!"

"Watch yourself, Roman." Winter snarled, "You two, shorty." She glared at Neo, who returned it in kind.

Cinder had an intrigued look on her face. While she wasn't exactly interested in robotics, she was interested in the person or group that made them. Dr. Watts may also be interested as well… From her understanding, they were antagonistic to the girl on screen, perhaps if she can find their creator(s), she can sway them to her side.

"How interesting. It's a pity we don't know who built them."

"They could be remotely controlled, ma'am," Emerald responded.

"Whatever, they're tough." Mercury admitted, "But they ain't got nothing on us."

"Here comes the ass whopping," Yang said with a grin as the girl on the screen slowly got up.

"Swear!"

**Vella picked herself up from the floor, looking slightly peeved as she discarded her spent ammunition clip. She held up another clip and infused it with her glyphs and swiftly reloaded her weapon.**

**Vella drew back bow back and leveled it at the charging androids. Her first shot landed on the black android's shield, imprinting her glyph from the impact. She activated her semblance around her waist like a skirt and accelerated towards the Shield Droid blasting it away with a shot from Chatareus and a jump kick.**

**She turned then her attention to the Sword Droid and swung her weapon, blocking its sword and embedding Chatareus into its chest. With a bicycle kick, Vella freed her weapon from its chest, did a quintuple backflip and caught her weapon; firing it with a leg shot.**

Qrow, Yang, and Coco whistled at the feat.

Sun and Neptune clapped their hands while nodding. "Wow. Just… Wow."

"Damn, girl. You sure can kick ass with all your finery." Coco said in awe as she turned towards Velvet. "You got that one, Vel?"

"Yup." Velvet nodded; her eyes slightly wide.

"That was impressive," Yatsuhashi said as he leaned back and crossed his arm.

"So cool!" Ruby squealed; her eyes brighten up as she witnessed one of the coolest feats she had ever seen. So much so, that she forgot Coco had just 'swear'.

Weiss smiled at the display. There were barely any graceful huntresses like her at Beacon, and to see another huntress capable of performing such a graceful and agile maneuver was refreshing. "What a skillful display of mixed archery. I almost wished I took up archery instead."

"There is a sense of aesthetic in archery, but it certainly takes a lot of practice." Cinder replied helpfully. Sadly, her archery skills have become rusty as she relied more on her Dust infused clothes and semblance to fight nowadays. Adding in her stolen half-maiden powers and Cinder barely has any uses for her archery skills.

"It seems that Team SLVR has very talented members."

"It would appear so, Glynda," Ozpin said as he put away his mug and clasped his hands. "I look forward to seeing their final member."

"She has style." Neo's sign said, "I like that."

**The bullet struck the Sword Droid square in the chest, a glyph already forming at its center mass. Vella caught her bow-rifle and activated her semblance, accelerating towards the Sword Droid. The glyph on the android pulled on its body, causing it to lose balance as it shot towards Vella. The Sword Droid tried to use this momentum to attack but missed, resulting in Vella slicing off its left arm. **

**Even after losing an arm, the Sword Droid regain balance and continued its assault, blocking all her shots as it leaped towards her. She swung Chatareus upward, knocking the Sword Droid in the air and fired twice; sending it into the air. **

**Another glyph formed on the Sword Droid's damage side, pulling it down as Vella flew into the air, stunning it with a solid hit. The glyph grew larger, Vella drew her bow; another glyph was rotating around the barrel of her weapon as she aimed Chatareus at the Sword Droid.**

**She let loose of her bow, the projectile slamming the android into the frozen surface and exploded, taking the Sword Droid out of the fight permanently.**

"Kaaaboooom!"

"Yes, Nora. Kaboom."

"She has a solid mastery over her semblance as well," Glynda noted with approval. "Straightforward it may be, her semblance has many usages."

"Unlike mines," Qrow muttered under his breath.

"Vella: 1. Androids: 0." Yang said with a grin.

**Vella landed on the floor and glanced up to see the Shield Droid storming towards her. She met it head as their weapons clashed against each other, but Vella proved to be a superior fighter, dancing through its guard. ****Two turquoise arcs sparked across the Shield Droid's upper body causing it to fall to its knees as Vella fell back. She quickly got up and swung its shield, intending to go all out.**

**The Shield Droid didn't get far as Vella easily countered its attack, knocking it back and giving her time to finish it off. She drew her bow back with her semblance and fired rapidly, quickly overwhelming the Shield Droid. The android lost its grip on the shield and crashed into the ice walls as the barrage tore through its exoskeleton.**

**The Shield Droid staggered forward; its body heavily damaged from the barrage and severely crippled. Vella leaped into the air and slammed her weapon into the android, pinning it to the icy walls. She repeatedly fired at its head until it flew off and proceed to use her semblance in conjunction with her weapon to cut the android in half. **

**Both halves fell onto the frozen surface. Its left arm tried to clench in a futile attempt before ceasing its movement as the android's power dies.**

**The scene cuts to Vella holstering Chatareus over her back. She glanced behind her checking to see if there were any surprises from the androids. When she saw that none of them were moving, she breathed a sigh of relief and walked off into the distance.**

**The screen fades to black.**

"That was paid back," Yang remarked at the brutality the young woman used against the Shield Droid.

"… Well, that was cool. Like, very, very cool." Sun said causally.

Neptune nodded in agreement, "It was."

"It was awesome! Did you see the component of her weapon in its bow form? Oh, and the four dual strings that were attached to her bow limbs, they were glowing blue and…" Ruby continued to babble about Vella's weapon until her teammates successfully stopped her from flooding the air with her weapon geekiness by stuffing her mouth with cookies.

"I got a lot of good shots from that one." Velvet said happily, "Even the androids."

"I enjoyed this one more than the previous two." Weiss said haughtily, "It's difficult to find refined huntresses these days, aside from Professor Goodwitch."

"Thank you, Weiss." The deputy replied flatly.

Ironwood and Ozpin chuckled at that. If only the heiress knew the true wrath/strength of Glynda Goodwitch, then it would be dreadfully obvious how unrefined she can be when the deputy was mad.

"We have many questions regarding those androids," Winter spoke up.

"Of course, you Atlesians do." Qrow snarked as he munched on a Cypriot Doughnut. "I bet you Atlesian want to assert your dominance with them. Mass produces an army of robots that can fight at the level of a first-year huntsmen-in-training and impose your 'conformity' on the entire kingdoms."

"Qrow…" Ozpin sighs.

"What? I'm just saying. Anyone with that kind of power will go mad with it."

Cinder softly laughed at that.

"If we had that sort of capability, we would be drastically reducing the number of casualties on the battlefield. The reason why we're reliant on our androids is that we want to reduce the number of casualties we take, Qrow." Ironwood explained icily.

"I'm surprised Atlas even cares about their people." Roman chimed in as he cut his fancy dinner steak. "I thought you were all corporate proxies, buying corporations' products to outfit the military while maintaining a front that it's to keep the precious people safe."

"I don't want to hear it from you, Torchwick."

"Which says a lot when it's me telling you." Roman shot back as he chewed on his steak.

Neo raised her sign, "Burned."

"Those troublesome and political topics aside, it is a reasonable question to ask about the direction in which the presentation is building up to," Ozpin said as he got up and stretched his arms.

_"You will see in the next presentation. However, it may raise even more questions. Ones that we might not answer."_

"So… Who will be coming next?" Blake asked.

_"Your colleagues, Peter Port and Bartholomew Oobleck. They will be the ones joining us in the next presentation."_

"Ah, Professor Port and Doctor Oobleck." Ozpin said with a nod, "Anyone else?"

_"Not this time."_

While everybody was off doing their own things as they waited, Emerald was presenting Cinder her findings. "From what I gathered from Team RWBY; we're watching a team of huntsmen and huntresses called Team SLVR. Their leader is a human named Simin Megistus, and the rest of his teammates are as follows. Lycan Arcadia, a wolf faunus, and recently; Vella Moisia. We have yet to meet their final member."

"I see. And what did they make of them?"

"They are apparently very skilled, ma'am."

Mercury snorted, "Right. Just show them a few highlights of their fights, and everyone will say they're good."

"Is that jealousy I hear?" Emerald jeered as they locked eyes at one another.

"Enough, you two. Emerald, do they know why the Hosts are showing us this particular team?"

"They don't know why, ma'am."

"Hm, how vexing. Regardless, it's a shame that we can't watch what we have missed."

_"Fear not, Cinder."_ The Hosts said, nearly startling them. _"You may re-watch what you have missed once we enter our short break. Ask and you shall receive."_

"I see. Thank you." Cinder thanked the Hosts.

"So, can I ask for my legs back?" Mercury asked and then frowned as he glanced at his legs. "Holy shit."

Cinder raised an eyebrow and opened her mouth, but it was quickly cut short as she got her answer.

_"We will not grant you powers, Cinder Fall."_

She nodded; it was worth a try anyway.

_"The guests have arrived."_ The Hosts announced as Port and Oobleck landed on a seat not far from Ozpin.

"My word! Where are we?!" Port exclaimed as he looked around.

"My word, indeed! I do believe I was in the middle of refilling my coffee."

"Doctor Oobleck, Professor Port." Ozpin greeted his colleagues with a smile.

"Professor Ozpin! Care to explain where we are?"

"Yes, and how did we get here?"

_"Allow us to explain, but first, welcome to our domain."_

/-/

Port and Oobleck went with it without any hassle, though Oobleck was extremely curious about beings who call themselves the Hosts. He constantly asked them questions to which they answered several and left the rest vague. Needless to say, in spite of his curiosity, the doctor knew better than to pester the Hosts too much.

Oobleck gulped down his coffee and wiped his mouth with a napkin. "You said that we will also be viewing historical events?"

_"Correct. Though they may not be from this reality."_

"Fascinating! Regardless, I am alright with that."

"This will be quite a show," Port said as he twirled his mustache.

_"Indeed, now without further ado; let us continue to the next presentation."_

* * *

**NEXT: SLVR "Regalia" Trailer**

**I plan on doing ALL of SLVR trailers. That includes Charcoal Trailer.**

**_I also strongly advise you to watch the SLVR Trailer on YouTube. The animations gets better as it goes on._**

* * *

**Pardon my grammar, spelling, and sequences description.**

* * *

**Fun Fact: While the Roboticist concept/series was created starting from RWBY "Black" Trailer, it was revised again after this trailer was created. If you enjoyed that series, thank Mark Zhang for bring it back to life.**

**Another Note: I have posted some Concepts on my Profile page. If you're interested in what they are, come and check them out.**


	5. SLVR Regalia Trailer

**I do not own RWBY or SLVR.**

**All characters belong to their respective owners:**

**SLVR - Mark Zhang**

**RWBY - Rooster Teeth**

**_I also strongly advise you to watch the SLVR Trailer on YouTube. The animations gets better as it goes on._**

* * *

**SLVR "Regalia" Trailer**

* * *

**The screen turned back as white texts fade in on the screen:**

**"Even those who live their purpose encounter emptiness. But alone, there is no escape from your own void."**

This quote resonated with Ozpin and Qrow. Especially Qrow.

For Ozpin, he was suddenly reminded why he always shared a body with another soul. It was to ensure that he was to never carry this burden alone. The burden of redeeming this world and saving it from destruction.

However, this message seems to hit Qrow the hardest. He has a purpose. Ozpin gave him one despite his semblance, but even he couldn't help but feel empty at times. He chose to isolate himself to spare others his pain. Regardless…

"… I should ask Ozpin for a months' worth of break one day."

**The screen then cuts into the mountains. Tall, jagged, pillars of mountains that tower above the foggy air. A young woman with violet hair and eyes sat on a ledge, dangling her white heeled boots over the cliff. She wore a purple and black sweater, a white scarf and a witch hat with a purple flower ribbon.**

"Nice sweater." Coco nodded as she inspects the detailed designs emblazoned on the girl's clothes. "The hat is a nice touch as well. Oh, and the scarf."

"We get it." Yatsuhashi sighed.

**This young woman is Ragora Cinarum and she was on a mission to locate the artifact called the Radiant. **

**She lifted her scroll and spoke, "It's here."**

**Over the scroll, Simin replied, "You sure about that?"**

**"I don't know." Ragora snarked as she observed the fortress's outpost several meters away from position. "How many ominous-looking fortresses have you found?"**

**"Got it." A new voice, Vella's, spoke over the scroll. "We're on our way."**

**"Just keep watch until we get there." **

**The scene pans out revealing that Ragora was already in front of the entrance, with several Armors laying on the ground.**

Oobleck pushed up his glasses. "How peculiar! A fortress this far out in the mountains? It's not unheard-of considering Mistral utilized similar strategies in constructing fortresses and households, but the style… It's different than Mistral's. Almost Atlesian. Perhaps a forgotten fortress in past eras? How interesting!"

"I think I saw her weapon!" Ruby was bubbling with energy as she knew that the next scene will be full of action-packed fighting.

"There's a lot of those… Armored android knights guarding that place." Ironwood mused. "Though the color scheme is slightly different from the first one if I can recall."

"That is correct, General Ironwood." Penny nodded, "The one that the faunus named Lycan fought had a darker coloration."

"The question is…" Ozpin cut in, "Who or what is guarding this place? And why?"

"That's the million-lien question, Oz." The now sober Qrow put away his flask and paid close attention to what was about to play out on screen.

"It's starting!" Ruby squeaked.

**An Armor turned towards the commotion and spotted the intruder. "One hostile confirmed. Requesting reinforcements." It said with a raspy and deep mechanical voice. **

**The androids rushed towards Ragora with their swords and shields as the camera panned behind Ragora, revealing her weapon that was holstered behind her back. The first Armor charged straight at Ragora as she drew her weapon, Hexentanz. She slammed it in the Armor's face and fired, taking down the first Armor of this soon to be massacre.**

**Two more Armors rushed towards her, only to be met with the same fate as she easily destroyed them with a single shot. Ragora dodged a swing from an Armor and shot it with her Hexentanz, using the recoil to slam kick another Armor. **

**She parried an attack and took down another pair before charging towards the group of Armors that were closing in on her.**

"These androids are weaker," Winter noted.

"It would appear to be so." Penny nodded as she watched Ruby pump her fist in the air with a silent cheer.

**Ragora shifted Hexentanz from its shotgun form to its glaive form, revealing a large purple glaive. **

"No waaaaaaaay! I want to meet this girl!"

Yang quickly covered her sister's mouth. "Ruby, please!"

"It's just like my baby! Her weapon is almost like my Crescent Rose!" Ruby muffled behind Yang's hand.

"Aw, gross Rubes!"

"Children, please." Glynda glared at them, causing them to settle down.

"Yessss… Show me more." Ruby whispered while Penny glanced at her friend with a concerned expression.

**Hexentanz sliced through the Armors with ease, mowing down the horde of mechanical knights with impunity. One of the Armors stood its ground when her glaive slammed through its shield, cutting into its sword, struggling to hold Ragora back.**

**But her assault would not be slowed down. The girl smirked and pulled on a trigger at the neck of her glaive, blasting the Armor in two.**

Ruby drooled as she wrote something down on her note. "Hehehe, I need to modify my baby to do that."

"… I don't think your weapon can handle any more modification." Blake said as she scooted away from her leader despite being the farthest out in the row.

Weiss sighed as she patted her partner on the head. "Just don't ruin your weapon or make it into an amalgamation of monstrosity."

"Is there something I need to know about your partner?" Winter asked warily. In all honesty, she was beginning to think this girl has some sort of weapon addiction.

"She loves weapons."

"I'm kind of a dork when it comes to weapons."

"You dolt."

**What remains of the Armor clattered to the ground as Ragora rushed past it, continuing her onslaught. **

**The screen fades to black. It cut to a side shot of the rows of Armors. **

**An armored young woman in a white corset and skirt with black trim walked through the rows of her androids. Her white heels clacked against the floor as she went to confront Ragora. ****Her black and white hair billowed against the soft wind as she inspected the destruction before her with her periwinkle colored eyes. She stared blankly at Ragora, finishing off her last opponent by lodging her glaive into its shoulder. **

"Hey look. It's your cousin, Ice Queen." Qrow joked, narrowing his eyes at the newcomer.

"I wasn't aware that we had any cousins who looked like the one on screen." Winter retorted but hunched over a bit to focus her attention on the young woman on the screen. "Though I must admit. There is some resemblance, but not much."

Cinder tapped her foot on the floor as she crossed her arms. "Things have become interesting."

"Pretty girl," Mercury added, earning him a glare from Emerald. "Ice-cold by the looks of it."

"Just another rich looking fighting girl," Roman said as he sat back and enjoyed the show. "Already two of 'em here." He nodded at the Schnees.

"Nice armor." Neo's sign said.

Ozpin's group had their attention ramped up as this new character was obviously someone of importance.

"Who is she? The girl in white?" Ozpin asked.

_"Her name is Lysette Atratus."_

"And the other?"

_"Ragora Cinarum."_

"Strange names," Oobleck remarked.

"Indeed."

**"This area is under Pandora jurisdiction. You can surrender now or surrender after I defeat you." Lysette declared with a strict and discipline tone.**

"Pandora?" Everyone wondered out loud.

Qrow shook his head, "She even talks like you, Ice Queen."

"Quiet." Glynda and Winter hissed at him as they tried to process the new information Lysette dropped on them.

_'Another player in this game?'_ Cinder thought to herself.

"She said that 'this area is under Pandora jurisdiction', which means that whoever they are; they have considerable power." Ironwood mumbled, "And the ability to produce or modify their combat androids." There were no other kingdoms that could make androids like Atlas. At least, not as effective as theirs and possess the means for mass production. Yet, the ones on screen were obviously mass-produced basic foot soldiers like their Atlesian Knight models.

Ozpin and his group didn't like it. Cinder too. An unknown group with the ability to house combat androids and seemingly unfriendly considering the viewpoint of this presentation? It was another factor to be considered.

**"Hmm…" Ragora pondered on this for a moment before heaving her glaive over her shoulder. "I'll consider it if you hand over the Radiant."**

Another keyword no one knew about and one that was answered quickly.

_"The Radiant is an artifact. We will not disclose any more than that."_

"An archaeological artifact?" Oobleck probed as the mention of artifacts greatly interests him as a Doctor of History.

_"Not exactly."_

"It's always artifacts with you, Barty." Port shook his head. "How can you ask about that when a catfight is about to break out?"

**"Well then. I hate to rain on your parade…" Lysette's her hidden sword shot out from her bracer, "But this is the end of the line for you." She pointed her sword at Ragora, prompting the Armors to charge en masse.**

**Ragora rolled her eyes as she casually swatted away an Armor with the butt of her glaive, proceeding to cut through the horde of androids. Hexentanz's blade rotated 90 degrees, turning it into a curved scythe which cuts through the last Armor.**

"Scythe user!" Ruby squealed, "I want to meet her! Our weapons are soooo similar to mines andand –" Her teammates quickly cut her off as they half dogpiled on her, trying to prevent her from overloading.

**As Ragora finished off her last Armor, Lysette lunged and thrust her sword at the purple-haired girl, forcing her to parry the attack. Lysette continued her assault, swinging her sword as the two dueled in the fortress. **

**Lysette is shown to be swift and agile, while Ragora relies on slower, but more powerful attacks. Their weapons clashed against each other with purple and silver sparks erupting from their weapons, but the fight was in Lysette's favor. With her shield, Lysette blocked her opponent's heavy strike with ease, leaping into the air and delivering a side kick to Ragora. **

**The purple-haired girl flipped back from the impact and regained balanced. She readied herself as Lysette rushed forth and leaped into the air, allowing Ragora's powerful strike to unintentionally give Lysette a boost in maneuvering around her. Lysette lunged towards Ragora bashing the end of Hexentanz and knocking it into the air. **

**Despite being temporarily disarmed, Ragora did not lose her ground as she twisted her body and blocked Lysette's strike with a kick to her forearm buying Ragora time to catch her weapon. They briefly exchanged blows before Ragora ended it by launching Lysette back with a powerful strike. However, this seemed to give the Pandora commander leverage as she jumped onto a rectangular pillar and kicked off of it.**

**As Lysette soared towards her opponent, her sword emitted a frosty mist as she swung it in midair. A large slash of ice shattered the floor and struck Ragora's weapon, causing her to stagger back as Lysette rolled and parried another attack from Ragora before swinging her sword skyward, sending Ragora into the air.**

"That girl in white armor is fast," Jaune said as he watched her fighting style intently. He may not be able to replicate or imitate her fighting style, but at the very least he can learn how she and the other girl fight.

Pyrrha was also doing the same thing as Jaune, analyzing their fighting style as it wasn't often she gets to see powerful huntresses go all out. "She's also acrobatic and displayed formidable swordsmanship. I wonder who taught her that? Maybe a tutor?"

"Like the Schnees." Qrow chimed in. There were just too many similarities with the Lysette girl on screen and the Schnees for him not to pass it up. "And she likes to freeze her opponents, seeing how she uses Ice Dust. Just like the Schnees."

The Schnee sisters rolled their eyes and shook their heads as they returned their attention to the screen.

**Ragora slammed her glaive onto the stone pillars, catching herself as she landed. Her opponent gave her no time to rest as Lysette jumped into the air and slashed at the position where Ragora was standing a few seconds earlier. **

**Sparks flew as Lysette rapidly attacked Ragora, quickly gaining ground as Ragora's counterattack was calculatedly blocked and parried. Seeing an opening, Lysette dashed and slashed past Ragora's defense, stunning her before back kicking Ragora in the guts. Ragora flew back and bounced off the stone pillars with Lysette not far behind. Her blade glimmered with bluish energy as she thrust her sword at Ragora, sending a powerful shockwave from the impact and sprouting spikes of ice from the stone pillars.**

Sun winced, "That must have hurt."

"And taken a lot of aura off." Neptune nodded.

Meanwhile, Velvet was frantically snapping pictures with her camera. This presentation had more moves to show off than the previous one, and it was starting to tire out her hand.

"So… These Pandora guys. Are they the bad guys?" Coco asked.

_"You may consider them the antagonist to Team SLVR."_ The Hosts confirmed.

"But who are they?"

_"An organization. We cannot disclose any more than that."_ Ozpin's group and Cinder's mentally groaned at that.

"Of course." Cinder muttered under her breath. More people to take account of. "Mercury, help Emerald take down notes as well."

"Uh, sure."

**The screen pans over to Ragora slowly getting up as she picked up her weapon and leaned on it for support. Her body started to emit a purple mist that darkens and condenses as her familiar materialized. A floating, blindfolded purple head with horns of a ram and jaws lined with sharp teeth appeared from the mist and growled.**

"What is that?!" Jaune yelped.

Glynda stared at it with amazement, "That's her semblance, isn't it?"

_"Correct. Ragora's semblance allows her to summon her familiar, while Lysette's semblance allows her to lower the temperature of the things she touches."_

"Interesting." Ozpin took a sip from his cup as he anticipated the upcoming scene.

"And rare," Glynda remarked. These sorts of semblances are scarce with few ever being recorded or studied.

Emerald and Mercury took down notes on what was given before returning their attention to the screen.

**Ragora looked smug as her glowing violet eyes dimmed. She twirled Hexentanz on her hand as her familiar opened its large mouth and lunged at Lysette, chomping down on her sword that she coated in thick ice. **

**Lysette grunted as she slid the sword from its ice barrier and kicked the familiar away just in time to block an explosive attack from Ragora, sending Lysette staggering back. The familiar attacked again, this time taking Lysette into the air. It tried to slam her onto the ground below, but Lysette broke free and flung the familiar onto the ground instead.**

**If bounced off the floor and floated back up, unharmed by the impact. Its mouth started to glow as it channeled its next attack and fired a purple energy blast at Lysette. Undeterred, she casually deflected the purple blast with her sword sending it flying into the sky before it fell onto the ground, exploding.**

"It has range capabilities as well." Glynda hummed.

"Ren, Ren. Did you see how pretty that purple explosion was?"

"Yes, Nora. I did."

**Lysette looked up and leaped out of the way as Ragora came crashing down with her familiar joining her side. Ragora then lunged at her, swinging Hexentanz while her familiar flanked and tried to attack Lysette from behind. The white-haired girl reacted quickly, blocking and deflecting Ragora's attack, temporarily incapacitating the familiar with a kick.**

**Despite the odds being stacked against her, Lysette held out on her own as Ragora and her familiar viciously attacked her at all angles. But Lysette was soon overwhelmed as the familiar latched itself onto her shield, pulling her in the opposite direction of its master; crippling her guard.**

**Ragora swung her glaive over her shoulder and slammed Lysette onto the floor and pulled the trigger on her Hexentanz causing her strike to explode, sending Lysette into the air. Her familiar followed up her attack, opening its jaws and biting down on Lysette's weapon as it pinned her into a pillar. **

**She struggled to try and free herself from the familiar's jaw as it readied an energy blast; shooting Lysette through the pillar and sending her sprawling on the floor.**

"Whoa…" Jaune said in awe, "Both of them are very skilled. The white-haired one especially." Hopefully, he'll just be as good as them one day.

Sun agreed with him, "No kidding, she's good."

"Which is why I assume she's in charge guarding this Radiant." Ironwood crossed his arms as he observed the entire fight. He'll have to admit that he is impressed by their skills and abilities but is also worried about the prospect of it being used against them. Especially from unknown factions.

"She certainly demonstrates combat prowess despite not measuring up to her opponent's strength and firepower." Glynda tapped the armrest of her chair. "Even when she was fighting on multiple fronts, she was able to effectively launch multiple counterattacks before being overwhelmed."

"It's a pity we don't know more about her allegiance and Pandora." Ozpin sighed as he asked the Hosts for a refill.

**Lysette laid there on the floor, seemingly to ponder on her options as she got up; supporting herself with Ice Dust and her semblance. Lysette took her stance, shield facing forward, her sword resting above it and directed at her opponent.**

**Sparing no time, Ragora and her familiar lunged to the sides as they flanked around Lysette. The familiar chomped towards Lysette as it bit down on her shield weakening her guard as Ragora swung Hexentanz with all her might. Lysette gritted her teeth and detached her shield from her arm, and duck as Hexentanz swung by, narrowly missing her. **

**Lysette's opponent was wide open, allowing Lysette to swing her sword through her nonexistent guard. Her blade sparked blue as Lysette slashed through Ragora, completely encasing her in ice. Only Ragora's weapon, Hexentanz, stuck out from the ice sculpture. **

**Believing that her opponent was taken care of, Lysette didn't even bother to glance back as she walked away from her defeated opponent, deciding that she had already won this fight.**

"Now that's cold," Yang said after a moment of silence.

Qrow added more into the cold, "Like a Schnee."

"Hey!"

"The fights not over," Ren spoke up as the screen continued to play.

Velvet moaned, "My hands… Yatsuhashi, can you help me?"

"Sure."

**Floating above the now frozen Ragora, her familiar fired an energy blast at her frozen figure, engulfing the area in a purplish explosion.**

Mesmerized by the beautiful, regal explosion was none other than Nora herself. "So pretty…"

"… Ren, I'm a bit concern about the look Nora is having right now."

"Me too, Jaune. Me too."

Pyrrha also nodded with her teammates in agreement.

**Lysette narrowed her eyes as she examines the crater where Ragora was situated. The purple smoke was still emitting from the crater, blocking her view as she squinted to get a better view. A large purple slash of energy narrowly struck Lysette as she dodged out of its way before detonating, sending Lysette flying back.**

**Standing atop her familiar with Hexentanz behind her back, Ragora changed grip, allowing her familiar to bite down on her blade as they rotated to face Lysette. Her familiar started glowing at the mouth as they charged up and steadied their aim for their next attack.**

**Having enough of this, Lysette channeled her semblance and Ice Dust through her sword and launched herself into the sky on a frozen platform. She leaped from her platform, shattering it to form several icicles to aid her in the final strike.**

**Ragora followed suit as she descended. Her entire form was engulfed in a black and purple ghastly silhouette with trailing black particles as she lunged towards Lysette. This ghastly form instantly vanished as she swung Hexentanz, shattering Lysette attack with a single powerful strike. ****Lysette was send spiraling towards the ground, the purple energy around her detonated. **

**An explosive barrage engulfed Lysette as the sky was decorated with purple explosions, signaling the end of this fight.**

"My weapon needs to do that! Ruby?" Nora turned towards the crimson reaper with untamed enthusiasm.

"No!" Team RWBY and JNPR shouted at once.

However, Ruby disagreed with their stance as she shot both of her fists in the air. "Yes!"

"Damn it!"

Glynda felt her headache worsened as she thought about the amount of destruction Nora could cause, along with Ruby's assistance. She was half tempted to request a ban on such destructive weapons, but she knew that it wouldn't go through regardless. After all, huntsmen and huntresses would need to utilize everything and anything in order to defeat the Grimm.

"Children," She gave them a warning glare. "I advise you to not use your weapon with recklessness if you were to go through with your plans."

"Yes, Professor Goodwitch." Nora and Ruby said simultaneously as their teammates groaned.

In the 'villain' section, Cinder and her lackeys were tirelessly taking notes as they watched the entire fight with great interest.

"Not bad. Both of them." Cinder nodded with approval. The amount of skill and power the two-combatant displayed could put Emerald and Mercury to shame on a one to one combat. "It's a shame we can't get any more information on them or locate them."

Her statement put Emerald on edge while Mercury sighed as he scribbled down on his note.

**As the sky lit up in purple; a familiar figure with a familiar jacket walked into view. Simin Megistus, leader of Team SLVR has made his entrance once more.**

"It's Simin! And his weapon!" Ruby cheered.

Cinder rubbed her chin as she examined the boy. "So, this is Simin. Leader of Team SLVR."

**Simin casually strolls through the wreckage and glanced up. He was instantly met with a falling Lysette as she came crashing into his arms, his expression was that of pure shock and surprise. He shuffled his foot back as he absorbed the impact, catching Lysette with his arms and in the process, destroying the floor underneath him.**

Yang laughed at the funny expression Simin was making as he caught the falling girl. "That's definitely one way to catch a girl's attention."

"Damn it, Yang," Qrow grumbled under his breath.

"She's not even conscious. How could he catch her attention?" Ren pointed out with Yang giving him a deadpan look.

**As the dust settled, Simin closed his eyes and breathed a sigh of relief. He then opened one eye as he heard the mechanical march of the Armors that were filing out of the fortress, heading towards him. Three Armors pointed their weapons at Simin and spoke in unison.**

**"Intruder. Release your hostage immediately."**

Qrow and Roman snorted, "Like that'll ever work."

"Certainly not a viable tactic in his position." Winter reluctantly agreed.

"Hm… Pandora seems to greatly care for its members." Ironwood mumbled as he watched the Armors surround the leader of Team SLVR.

"Or, it could just be that she was too useful to lose."

"Perhaps."

**Simin did what he was told and released the unconscious Lysette from his arms as he backed away with his hands in the air.**

"What?"

"Did he really just do that? He had leverage there!" Roman facepalmed as Neo silently laughed at her boss's demeanor.

"Well, at least he's a gentleman." Weiss rubbed her forehead.

"Which doesn't really get you anywhere in this scenario," Blake said, shaking her head.

Yang cracked her knuckles as she dug her hands into a bag of popcorn that she conjured from the Hosts. "He doesn't need a hostage to get what he wants." She said with a mouthful of popcorn, causing Weiss to give her a disgusted look. "Because it looks like Team SLVR is finally showing up. All of them."

"As a team!" Nora punched the air.

"As a team." Ren nodded.

**Ragora slowly floated down with her familiar carrying her entire weight. They stopped a few feet away from her leader giving him a piece of her mind. **

**"It's about time."**

**Her leader chuckled embarrassingly as Ragora's familiar licked him on the face.**

"Aw, how cute." It reminded Ruby of Zwei. If he was a giant floating purple head.

"It does seem to have a mind of its own," Glynda noted.

**"Relax. I had to deal with three patrols of these guys." Simin said, jerking his thumb at the Armors. One of the Armors took Lysette to safety. The rest immediately began their assault.**

**"Engaging." The Armors droned as they rushed towards Simin and the downed Ragora.**

"See? This is why you don't give away a hostage without securing leverage." Roman snorted as he crossed his right leg over the other and rested his cheek on his hand.

Winter leered at the thief, "Of course, you would know about this."

"Frostbite me."

**Simin summoned his ice sword and slashed at the nearest Armor before materializing his fire sword, destroying the Armor as his fire sword exploded through its torso, taking out several other Armors as well. He charged towards the horde of androids, demolishing them as his blades made quick work of their exoskeleton. **

**On another mountain pillar. Hundreds of meters away from the fortress, Lycan was rushing down the mountainside with a hostile expression.**

**"I'm gonna smash your stupid faces in!" Lycan roared as he leaped from the mountainside towards the fortress. "Out of my way!" He summoned his clone and launched himself through the fortress wall, shattering it with ease. **

**His heels and hand dug into the ground as he came to a halt, baring his teeth into a grin.**

**An Armor with duel wielding swords leaped down from the wall and lunged at the wolf faunus, a call back to the previous trailer. Lycan ducked its first attack, caught the second and headbutt the Armor; destroying not soon after.**

"I like this Lycan guy." Yang purred as she finished her popcorn. The WB of Team RWBY rolled their eyes while Qrow shook his head.

**Ragora floated down on her familiar, having recovered as Simin jumped back with two ice shields in front of him. **

**"What is taking Vella so long?" Simin asked as their team was severely lacking their ranger of the team. On cue, a shot rang throughout the mountains as a bullet struck an Armor straight in the head. **

**Ragora's scroll rang. She picked it up and put in on speaker with Lycan still stabbing a deactivated Armor in the background. **

**"Sorry! I was pretty far away. You can leave the rest to me!"**

"And here comes the cavalry." Port chuckled, "Reminds me of the old days when me and –"

"Another time, Professor Port," Glynda said sternly.

Oobleck pushed his glasses up, "It seems that the entire team is there. Interesting bunch, I must say."

"Adventurous as well if they're going this far out in a remote looking place," Port added.

_'And a valuable asset in our war against Salem.'_ Ozpin thought to himself, _'But this group called Pandora…'_

Meanwhile, at the 'villains' section, Emerald and Mercury groaned as they had to both watch and write notes. Their task was made even more difficult as the entirety of Team SLVR had made their appearance on screen.

"Can't we just record this?" Mercury rubbed his eyes and hands with Emerald nodding in agreement as she performed the same action.

Cinder thought about this for a moment before conceding to her underlings' request. Just to put up a front, of course. "Very well. Take a break you two."

"Thank you, ma'am." They sighed a relief.

**The turquoise flare flickered multiple times on the mountain as Vella laid waste to the remaining Armors, temporarily sparing one as she graphed her glyphs onto its shield; allow Vella to make her entrance. Utilizing her glyphs, Vella accelerated onto the fortress and juggled the last Armor in the air before shattering it with a powerful shot.**

**Vella brushed her skirt and did a victory posed with her hand as her teammates awkwardly returned her greetings, minus Lycan and Ragora's familiar as they were standing off against one another. **

**From above, an airship was making its way towards the fortress; bringing in reinforcement for Pandora.**

**Without saying a word Team SLVR turned and faced the arriving airship. It landed in front of the fortress, blocking their path as the door opened to reveal nothing but darkness. In response, Team SLVR readied their weapons as they prepared themselves to fight against the newcomers.**

**The screen then faded black.**

"Aww… It's over?" Nora whined as she slumped on her chair. "I wanted to see more explosion." Her teammates did not comment on that.

_"There will be many more to come, we assure you. But for now, it is time we grant you an intermission."_

/-/

The cast suddenly found themselves standing in a luxurious club with comfy furniture, large TV screens, a bar, and many other things the cast could not keep track of.

"Nice place." Roman whistled as he appraised every single object in the room. "I would have actually felt really bad if I trashed this place."

"I dig it." Mercury nodded as he sat on a fluffy couch.

As for Qrow, he was already making a beeline towards the bar. "Whatcha serving here?"

"Unbelievable." Winter rolled her eyes at the alcoholic man. She already had to deal with her mother's addiction to alcohol because of her father, she does not need to deal with another one.

_"Enjoy yourself for the time being. Ponder, wander, rest, it matters not. However, violence is not permitted here. We shall leave you be, for now."_

They felt the Hosts' presence left the area; though they know very well that they are still being watched. Or at the very least, observed in some way or form.

"… I have a lot to talk about!" Ruby proclaimed as everyone shifted their eyes towards her. Half of the cast had a deadpanned expression while the others were blank.

"We know what you would be talking about, Ruby." Blake pinched her forehead.

"Yeah, sis. Why don't we find a place to sit and relax for a bit? Maybe explore around this awesome place while we're at it!"

The cast of RWBY split up into their own little groups.

Cinder and her underlings sat on a couch in front of a giant TV screen, re-watching the missed presentations while eating a light meal.

Roman and Neo were lazing around on a sofa, far away from Cinder and the rest of the group.

Team RWBY, JNPR, the S & N of Team SSSN, and Team CFVY had gathered themselves at a circular table, discussing the things they noted during the presentations and life in general.

Professor Port and Doctor Oobleck were going over the photos Velvet had taken for them during the presentation on the strange Grimms that was shown during the SLVR "Linen" Trailer as well as some of the destroyed scenery of Mountain Glenn.

As for Ozpin and his group. They were huddled on a floor above the rest as they had many things to discuss…

* * *

**NEXT: Intermission - "Charcoal" Trailer**

**I plan on doing ALL of SLVR trailers. That includes Charcoal Trailer.**

**_I also strongly advise you to watch the SLVR Trailer on YouTube. The animations gets better as it goes on._**

* * *

**Pardon my grammar, spelling, and sequences description.**

* * *

**Another Note: I have posted some Concepts on my Profile page. If you're interested in what they are, come and check them out.**


	6. Intermission 1

**Ugh, this chapter turned out to be awful. There was too many things we wanted, but can't deliver since it just sounds bad...**

**Yikes, let this be marked down as one of my failures. I'll try to improve in later chapters.**

* * *

_"We are deceiving them."_

_"We are not."_

_"We simply did not tell them."_

_"It was intentional."_

_"For most, but not all."_

_"And we shall move on."_

_"We shall."_

/-/

Ozpin took a long drink from his mug, setting it down on the table once he was finished. "So, what do you make of these presentations our Hosts has given to us?"

"Worrying in some respects." Glynda replied, "But also intriguing. However, I am a bit puzzled…"

"Well, our Hosts did say that we will be watching things beyond or within our realities. Whatever that means." Qrow was about to take a drink out of his beer, but it was snatched by Glynda. "Oh, come on. I'm still sober!"

"And you'll stay like that until I say so."

Winter smirked as the drunk man slunk his head onto the table, silently brooding as their conversation delves onto Team SLVR.

"I have no knowledge of this Team SLVR or the academy they had trained in if any. There may be several teams throughout history that were called Team Silver, but judging by their weaponry, I highly doubt they are from older times."

Ironwood rubbed his chin thoughtfully, "There is a possibility that we were watching an alternative universe, though I would have never thought I would say something like that…"

"What makes you say that, sir?"

"The moon. Of course, it could just be the rotation cycle, but I am not well versed in astronomy."

They mused on Ironwood's suggestion for several seconds before moving on.

"And this group called Pandora?"

"Hard to say, Oz." Qrow produced another beer bottle and drank from it. His peers weren't all too happy with his action but allowed him to finish his drink. "We didn't get much of 'em, but it looks like they were holding something valuable. And I don't mean, lien tons. I mean power. Like you know what…" The four maidens and relics. Maidens wielding magical powers and divine relics that are capable of changing the world; for better or for worse.

It was Winter's turn to speak up, "They also seemed to possess some capabilities to mass-produce androids. At least, that is the impression I was given."

"Why is she here?" Qrow complained as he disliked the Atlesian being in on this. They have the tendency to drain the color out of everything. It was a pity he couldn't get rid of Ironwood…

"She's here because I trust her, Qrow." Ironwood shot back.

Winter straightened her sitting posture at that with a dignified expression. "I am honored, General."

"Don't inflate her ego." Qrow groaned as he produced another beer bottle to warm himself from the ice-cold. "If you excuse me, I need to go warm myself with booze."

Ozpin sighed, "Qrow, please."

"Relax, Oz. We're stuck in this strange, but wonderful world almighty beings that can-do things we can't even dream of. What am I supposed to do?" He took a swig out of his bottle.

"Keep a calm and clear mind," Glynda said coldly as she yanked the bottle from his grip. "You're lucky my semblance isn't working here, Qrow."

"Yeah. Semblance. Semblance…" Qrow eyes widen with realization. If semblances don't work here, then that it means his Bad Luck charm wouldn't be working here as well. It was a shame this wasn't back at Remnant, but he might as well make the best of it.

"Something wrong, Qrow?" Everyone wondered what went through the drunkard's mind.

"I just realized my semblance doesn't work here." He chuckled to himself, "Eh, forget about that. So, Pandora… We're talking about Pandora, right?"

"We were discussing if Pandora is a threat should they exist, or a possible ally," Winter said flatly. What goes through Qrow's mind is a mystery to her. That is if he even has a functioning one, to begin with.

"Right, right. So, mass-produce androids? You think some shady group is able to make good combat androids?"

Ironwood pulled up several clips on the television in front of them. "There were a handful of instances where we were presented with androids possessing combat capabilities that rivals hunters-in-training, Qrow." The large man pointed at the Sword and Shield Droid. "These were two were the most notable ones."

"They look nothing like the ones Pandora uses." Qrow pointed out, comparing the Armors to the Sword and Shield Droids. "How do we know it's theirs?"

"It's just speculation." Ironwood admits, "But it doesn't help that Atlas does not have this sort of combat capabilities for our military androids."

Qrow gave Ironwood a deadpanned look. "Oh, so nobody should have made something that's superior to whatever you Atlesians make?"

"Qrow." Ozpin shook his head.

"Alright, alright." He raised his hands, "I thought you guys said that the androids were being remotely controlled or something."

"That was a possibility." Winter cut in, "But that would require a lot of open flat space to maneuver for the users, which may or may not be viable."

"So…?"

"It is all speculation." Glynda sighed as she took off her glasses and rubbed her eyes. "We are merely assessing the potential threat."

"Exactly." Ironwood nodded, "Imagine what would happen if our enemies got their hands on this sort of technology?"

"I feel like we're overshooting things here, Jimmy." Qrow's casual remark at the general annoyed Winter to no end, but she held her tongue.

Ironwood was used to the nickname and continued, "Pandora seems to possess the resources to fortify their strongholds with combat androids and used them as common foot soldiers. And their members, at least, the only one we saw so far is proven to be skilled."

"Okay…?"

"… You're not getting the picture are you, Qrow?"

Glynda sighed as the two continued to verbally spar with one another. Wishing for a second she was down there, handling the students instead of dealing with this mess.

/-/

"For the last time, Ruby. I will not let you tailor my combat dress, nor will I be wearing a belt of your design." Weiss shoved the drawing design back to her partner as she pouted.

Ruby clutched her drawing with a sinister look and glanced at Blake. "Ooooh, Blaaaake?"

"My name is not Blake." The cat faunus replied instantly as she hid behind Yang. Hopefully, Yang can convince or satisfy whatever armaments Ruby wanted to add on.

"Yaaaang?" Ruby did just that, looking towards her sister.

Having dealt with her little sister before, Yang calmly asserted the situation. "What do you have for me, Rubes?" She didn't mind adding this so-called Synchronized Dust Projection Jacket to her outfits, but Yang doesn't know a thing or two about utilizing Dust the way that Simin guy does.

"Boring!" Nora jumped in as she swallowed another patch of pancakes that she kept conjuring. "When are you going to make my weapon more explodey?"

"No!"

Her teammates piled on her, trying to prevent her from reaching Ruby as they desperately don't want to see Nora wielding any more destructive armaments. It was already bad with her current weapon; they don't need Ruby kicking it up several notches!

"Nora, look. Pancakes and a sloth." Ren frantically said, summoning the said food and creature.

"Sloth!" Nora bounced away to get a closer look at the sloth, taking Team JNPR with her.

"Crisis averted," Coco whispered as she wiped sweat from her brow, knowing full well what Nora was capable of.

Everyone nodded in agreement, except Ruby, who simply pouted. "Why won't you let me make more stuff for you guys?"

"Uh, hello? Because you always overdo it?" Weiss replied as she rolled her dice, moving her pieces across the Monopoly board. "Pay up, Blake. Rents due."

Blake clicked her tongue. "Typical Schnee…"

"I resent that." She replied coolly as she accepted the play money from her teammate. "The Schnee Real Estate follows all regulations and does not engage in illicit practices."

"Does the Schnee Dust Company even have a real estate branch?" Sun asked Blake as her eyes twitched.

"I wouldn't be surprised." She hissed.

The teams happened upon a board game called Monopoly and found it interesting to play. The overarching goal of the game is to cause the other players to go bankrupt, which Weiss has no trouble doing so as she quickly picked on up on how to play the game.

"I can't believe Ice Queen, of all people, is dominating us at a board game." Yang moaned as she landed on a Go to Jail tile. "Come on!"

"It's a game about slimy business dealings. Of course, Weiss would catch on quickly." Blake grumbled as she sulked on her seat. "No offense, Weiss."

"None taken." Weiss replied happily, "We should develop a board game like this one back at Remnant…" She mused on that thought. "One has to appreciate the strategic negotiation and resource management of this game. I'm certain it would be popular in no time."

Everyone turned and stared at the heiress, not liking her expression. "When you say, 'create a board game', do you mean blatant copyright, or…?"

"The former."

"…"

"What? This game doesn't exist in our world! Surely, copyright infringement doesn't apply."

Ruby stared in shock at her partner. The rule-abiding heiress, with her strict personality and orderly beliefs; thinking about performing piracy?! "Who are you, and what have you done to my partner?!"

"I am your partner, you dolt!"

/-/

Unknown factors have always annoyed Cinder to no ends. It doesn't take much to ruin a plan. No matter how well a scheme could be built, it was still a house of cards. All it takes is a small gust of wind from anywhere, and it all comes toppling down.

Such are the likes of Team SLVR and Pandora.

Of course, as their Hosts had stated; they could simply be watching an alternative reality. It wasn't hard to believe that, considering they were the subject of their reality-warping abilities. However, it was a lot to consider. Cinder's mind was bouncing all over the place with this revelation now that she got time to sit and think about it. She was torn between delving on this topic of Team SLVR and this mysterious group called Pandora or passing it off as another reality.

Regardless, it was better to be safe than sorry.

"Ma'am, are you alright?" Emerald asked with concern.

Ah, her ever so faithful servant… "I'm fine, Emerald. Let us enjoy this moment to ourselves as we await our Hosts' next presentation."

"Huh, I wonder what they'll show next," Mercury said as he relaxed on a sofa.

_"You shall soon see."_ The Hosts returned, _"Enjoy yourself for a few more minutes, we will then return you to the theater so that we may continue."_

Then, there are the mysterious 'Hosts" that Cinder is deeply intrigued about. They referred to themselves as 'we' instead of 'I', which means that there are multiple entities at work here. Do they share a single mind? Perhaps a hive mind? What are they? Gods? Something greater than gods? Cinder doesn't know, but it was starting to give her a headache the more she thought about it.

/-/

The casts found themselves back at the theaters in their respective seats, feeling refreshed and curious about the Hosts next presentation.

"So, what will we be watching?" Coco asked.

_"We will be continuing where we left off before we move onto something completely different."_

That didn't really answer her question, but Coco figured that it's best to just sit back, relax, and enjoy.

"I assume that we are continuing where we left off with Team SLVR?"

"Not entirely."

Everyone frowned, "So, we won't be watching the continuation from our last presentation?"

_"It is best if we show you."_ The screen darkened as the next presentation started. _"We apologize for rushing this, but we must continue."_

* * *

**NEXT: "Charcoal" Trailer **

* * *

**I have some concepts that I had listed on my profile for other stories. You should check them out.**


	7. Charcoal Trailer

**Sorry about that, I have an upcoming exam and several interviews to do.**

**Pardon my grammar.**

* * *

**I do not own RWBY or SLVR.**

**All characters belong to their respective owners:**

**SLVR - Mark Zhang**

**RWBY - Rooster Teeth**

**_I also strongly advise you to watch the SLVR Trailer on YouTube. The animations gets better as it goes on._**

* * *

**"Charcoal" Trailer**

* * *

**The screen turned dark as white texts fade in on the screen:**

**"May dust be brought to dust but not bring despair, for there is no futility even in death."**

Ozpin had a thoughtful expression. "An interesting outlook."

"Ah, the many perceptive that philosophy gives to us." Oobleck chuckles, earning him a nod from Yatsuhashi and Ren.

**The scene cuts to a stone bridge built in front of a waterfall; lined with pillars on the edges connecting two bastions together. Three trucks drove out from one of the bastions, transporting men in green uniforms, bandanas, and sunglasses. The center truck was carrying a single large cargo that seems to be of importance.**

"An interesting place of choice to construct a fortress." Oobleck's eyes darted left and right as he imprinted the architecture into his mind. "It reminds me of the medieval fortresses that I once studied in the outer reaches of Vale." The history professor sighed, "It's a shame that so many places are lost and unexplored."

"Ha! You should use all your vacation days if you want to unearth the treasures of the olden days! If that's how people romanticized these days…" Port scratched his head.

Oobleck shook his head, "Maybe one day."

**A slightly tanned young man with red-orange eyes and black hair stood on top of a pillar. He wore a gray, flat fedora with a fringe sticking out from the side, folded orange sleeves, a black vest with matching pants and gloves.**

"Hey, Neptune." Sun nudged at his partner, "You should change your attire for once. It looks so much better than what you're currently wearing."

Neptune responded by nudging Sun back. "It doesn't suit my hair color."

**The young man pointed his weapon at the first truck and fired, shooting out one of its front tires, causing it swerved left and right before coming to a screeching halt. Sparks showered the stone floor as the disabled truck finally came to a halt in an awkward position, unintentionally blocking the other trucks from passing through the bridge.**

**The camera cuts back to the young man, revealing himself to be Brandon Charbonneau. His expression was professionally serious as he leaped down from the pillar and landed at the center of the bridge.**

Roman and Coco whistled at Brandon's choice of clothing with approval.

"The kid got a hat comparative with mine." Roman felt the brim of his hat, wondering if it's time to change his style. "And he certainly knows how to dress for the occasion."

"Snazzy outfit he got there. I like it."

"He's got a nice face. Quite the pretty boy." Yang licked her lips, earning her several stares from her peers. "Just saying." She shrugged.

Weiss shook her head, "How vulgar."

**The men in green leaped from their truck, wielding curved swords while a handful of them took cover behind the truck and hoisted their rifles. Brandon was surrounded.**

Winter did not look all too pleased. "He could have chosen a better landing spot than the center where he would be surrounded by the front and rear."

"He seems to be confident in his abilities," Glynda said, taking note of the young man's casual demeanor. "Something which I highly advised against."

"Green ninjas!" Nora shouted before catching herself. "No, no. That doesn't sound good… Oh! Maybe, the Jade Ninjas!"

"They look too goofy to be ninjas…" Jaune said.

Sun agreed, "I'm with Jaune on this one."

Coco snorted, "Their fashion senses… Eck."

**The 'Jade Ninjas' closed in on Brandon, brandishing their swords. One got within striking distance, bringing his sword up but was swiftly countered as Brandon grabbed the Jade Ninja by the arm and flipped him over. Brandon kicked his opponent square in the chest, sending him barreling towards two of his comrades, taking them out of the fight.**

**Brandon then parried another attack and countered it with a kick. He then spun around, deflecting another attack as he hooked Magnum Opus around one of his opponent's sword and spun kicked two Jade Ninjas. Brandon shifted the direction of his kick midair to counter a swing from another Jade Ninja, temporary giving him a moment to analyze his surroundings.**

Mercury clapped his hand as he watched the young man on-screen easily dispatched his opponents. "This guy certainly knows his tricks and kicks, even if his opponents are small fries."

"They look like some sort southern Mistralian crime group." Emerald mocked their silly look.

Back at the 'hero' section, Ozpin was musing over something. "Who is he? I believe we saw the entirety of Team SLVR. A friend of theirs?"

_"His name is Brandon Charbonneau. You will soon know of his affiliation."_

Ozpin and his inner circle frowned at that, feeling that something was off.

Despite being outnumbered, Brandon wiped the floor with his opponents, literally at times.

The rifle-wielding Jade Ninjas finally decided to act, firing several rounds at Brandon as he dodges and deflected them with ease. Unwilling to keep this up, Brandon rolled out of the barrage and lunged towards a Jade Ninja, twisting his arm while jumping over him.

**Holding the Jade Ninja in front of him as a human shield, Brandon aimed his gun and shot the rifle out of his assailants' hand before knocking out his human shield as four Jade Ninjas rushed towards him. Their swords swung overhead as they aimed for at his backside. **

"Smart kid." Qrow smiled at the display, "Underhand tactic, but it works well."

"It works wonders." Roman chuckles.

**Brandon casually spun around and ensnared their swords with the backside of Magnus Opus, shattering their blades with a blast from his weapon. The Jade Ninjas stared at their shatter weapons, starting to understand the situation.**

**Seeing that they were heavily outmatched the remaining Jade Ninjas turned tail and fled to the bastion, leaving everything behind including their cargo.**

"It looks like he's trying to take whatever is in the container, with style." Roman grinned as he folded his arms. "I must be his role model."

Cinder's group and the 'hero' section rolled their eyes at that while Mercury laughed at the fleeing Jade Ninjas, "What a sad bunch."

"Hey, Ren?"

"Yes, Nora?"

"I just realized his weapon is similar to yours."

Ren paused before nodding. "So, it does."

"Hmm… Similar hair color and build." Nora was examining her partner's figure, causing chills to run down Ren's spine.

"Nora? What are you thinking?"

"Oh, nothing. Don't worry about it, Renny." She patted him on the shoulder while donning her typical grin. "Don't worry."

It wasn't an assuring statement.

"A brave and skill lad, this young man is." Port praised but furrowed his eyebrow. "But what is he doing there alone?"

"We all have the same question, Professor Port." Ozpin agreed, "Hopefully we'll get our answer soon."

_"You will in due time."_

**Brandon let the Jade Ninjas go as he walked over to the truck that housed a large container. He narrowed his eyes as the camera pans to the side, revealing a dark gray samurai with a yellow faceplate.**

Jaune looked at the samurai figure quizzically. "Is that their boss?"

"Hm… I get the feeling that it's not." Pyrrha replied.

"Southern Mistralian armor. Interesting. It seems that whoever these people are, they still value their traditional heritage greatly." Oobleck had seen similar looking armors in the museums, but they were often lamellar armor. "They look like stone statues. Almost. How intriguing."

**The stone-like samurai twirled his polearm as the green gemstone at the center of its forehead gleamed. Another stone samurai landed behind the first, followed by another as more burst out of the waterfall. **

**Brandon quickly took aim and fired at the descending stone samurais, taking a few out before switching his target at the small army in front of him. A lone stone samurai charged first. It leaped into the air, deflecting several gunshots and launched its polearm at Brandon. He shuffled back, letting the spear bury itself into the stone bridge with the stone samurai landing not soon after to retrieve its polearm. **

**The stone samurai attacked, its polearm blurring slightly as the blade swiped near Brandon's face. Unimpressed, Brandon changed his grip on Magnus Opus, letting his weapon fold outward and extending it into a curved sword. He viciously lashed at the stone samurai, causing it to skitter back, seemingly unharmed before the shaft of its polearm snapped, followed by the stone samurai.**

"Simple, but practical." Ruby nodded with approval of Brandon's weapon.

"They're… Androids?" Penny tilted her head in confusion. "Judging by the green crystal atop of its head, I presume that it is the source of its motor functions."

Ironwood rubbed his chin as he watched the stone samurai fall apart. "I believe you may be right on that, Penny. Perhaps these people still use an older method of powering their android?"

"Unfortunately, I am not fully versed in technological endeavors," Oobleck said regrettably.

**Brandon effortlessly cut through a charging stone samurai, followed by another as his blade sliced through their shafts and exoskeletons. The stone samurais were nothing of significance to Brandon as he destroyed one with a kick, scattering it into pieces as it crashed onto the floor.**

"Those androids have such poor durability," Winter said as she shook her head. It was as if they were made out of brittle stone.

Ironwood winced at the poor performance of the stone samurais. "They show impressive maneuvers, but horrible robustness."

"… That's just sad." Qrow agreed.

**Pieces of the fallen stone samurais piled up as Brandon sliced through them with ease. Still, Brandon was outnumbered and delayed as three of them circled around him. They closed in and stabbed with their polearms, missing their target as Brandon jumped and landed on their interlocking weapon.**

**The stone samurais launch him into the air as they freed their weapons, allowing Brandon to windup in air. As Brandon started to descend, he secured his hat and spun down, decapitating three stone samurais as he landed with grace.**

"I think I found my successor." Roman laughed as Neo flatly stared at him. "The kid got class, Neo." The pink and brown-haired girl rolled her eyes.

"As if anyone would want to be your successor." Blake snarked.

"Kitty is showing her claws now."

"Quiet, Yang."

Mercury couldn't help but pour salt into the 'wound'. "Burned, Roman. Burned."

**Seeing that he was running short on time, Brandon raised Magnus Opus as his eyes glowed bright red-orange, his blade sharing an orange glow.**

"I believe we'll get to see his semblance." Glynda pushed her glasses up.

_"Correct. Brandon's semblance allows him to increase the heat of anything he touches. He is currently not using Dust to empower his blade."_

"I see."

Cinder smirked, "A semblance similar like mines."

"…" Mercury suddenly shivered as he just thought of something disgusting. "It's like Cinder and Roman had a child… Augh." He scrunched up his face as Emerald sputtered something incomprehensible. "Hair and eye color. Sense of style; possibly eluding to stealing. Similar semblance…" Mercury stopped himself before he received a death sentence.

"Mercury." Cinder said with a deathly cold tone.

"Uh. Forget what I said, ma'am."

A few rows back, Roman was recoiling with horror. "This is why divorce exists."

"Yup." Neo's sign said in agreement as she temporarily watched Emerald trying to strangle Mercury.

**Brandon dashed through the hordes of stone samurais, cutting them down like butter. Deciding to finish things quicker, Brandon stabbed a stone samurai in the head and unleashed a fiery wind slash, slicing through several stone samurais in one go. **

**Magnus Opus shifted back to its rifle form as the internal barrel started glowing bright orange as Brandon began firing at his diminishing opponents, ending them with a single shot as his semblance easily cut through their weapons and armor.**

**There were only a handful of stone samurais left, their numbers drastically reduced. The remaining ones grouped up and formed a phalanx as a last-ditch defense. **

**Magnus Opus switched to its sword form, rearing back as Brandon activated his semblance and lunged towards the bunched-up stone samurais, slicing through all of them within a second.**

**The stone samurais stood still for a few seconds before promptly falling apart with searing cut marks across their exoskeletons as Brandon reloaded his weapon, not bothering to glance back as he let his fallen adversaries disintegrate into ashes.**

"I didn't catch that one." Velvet sighed as she readjusted her camera.

"This reminds me of Forever Falls…" Blake whispered softly. The train, the scattering leaves, Adam…

**Orange to black, the flakes of ash scattered to the wind; drifting away from the roaring waterfall as Brandon leaned on one of the pillars, waiting for his ride. The tail of his vest billowed in the wind; his eyes closed as he relaxed.**

**The sound of whirring engines made him open a single eye as a familiar airship flew over the bridge, hovering over the truck still holding onto its cargo.**

Qrow narrowed his eyes, "That airship looks really familiar."

"It's the airship that dropped down in front of Team SLVR from the previous presentation," Glynda replied.

"Huh, I think I know where this is going…"

Yang blinked, "So, does that mean this guy is…?"

**A cable shot out and latched itself onto the cargo, hoisting it to the belly of the airship before departing. The airship rotated around the pillar, opening its hatch; allowing Brandon to board the airship.**

"Pandora?" Jaune asked with a surprised expression.

"Seems like it," Ren answered.

Ozpin and his group didn't say anything. They didn't know much about Pandora and their goals, so they will be withholding most of their judgment, for now.

"What a thief." Roman applauded along with Neo.

**The screen faded black and cut to Brandon standing in front of a group of Armors, looking smugly at the camera before going dark.**

"Interesting turn of events." Cinder said.

"So, the guy is part of Pandora? The bad guy and all?" Coco asked the Hosts.

_"We will delve more into it in the future, but for now we must continue our presentation."_

Ozpin frowned, "If I may ask, why the rush?"

_"There is no rush. Some things are best said at another time."_ The Hosts answered cryptically, _"We will now increase the roster of our guests. Raven Branwen and her close associate, Vernal, along with Taiyang Xiao Long; shall be joining us."_

Ruby and Yang gasped, "Dad will be joining us?!"

"Ah, I thought I heard Yang's last name in there."

"Oh great, Rae is going to be here." Qrow sighed as he turned towards his niece, Yang. "Well, you always wanted to meet your mother. Here she is." He waved in the air, but nothing happened. Qrow simply shrugged before taking a drink from his flask. "Eh, soon."

"Raven… Branwen." Yang muttered her mother's name. Her face turned into a frown as she remembered another piece of information the Hosts had said. "Who's this Vernal?"

_"A bandit of the Branwen Tribe. You may consider her a close associate of your mother."_

Ozpin and his inner circle mentally braced themselves as Raven will be blaming them for dragging her into this even if they had nothing to do with it. Or… Do they?

"Got it." Yang cracked her knuckles as if she was ready to fight.

Team RWBY had a concerned look on her face. "Yang, are you going to be okay?" Ruby asked with puppy eyes.

Yang sighed, "I… I'll be fine. I promised."

_"Our guests have arrived."_

"Oh, boy." Qrow chugged down the remaining liquid in his flask.

Tai, Raven, and Vernal popped into existent; dropping in on their respective seats. All three of them blinked before eyeing each other, a bit shocked to do anything. It wasn't until Ruby greeted her father did they snapped out of their stupor.

"Hi, Dad! We're over here!" Ruby waved.

"Ruby, Yang!" He exclaimed as he jumped out of his seat to reach them. "What are you girls doing here? And more importantly, where are we?"

"We're in some sort of magically place where these powerful entities called the Hosts to make us watch a movie or something." Qrow slurred while pointing at the large screen.

Tai turned to look at his brother-in-law. "Qrow? You're here too?"

"Heya, Tai." Qrow greeted his friend but narrowed his eyes at Raven Branwen, Qrow's 'older' sister. "Don't get your feathers ruffled up, Rae."

Raven's eyes were blazing with anger as she leered at Ozpin and his inner circle. "Ozpin…" She hissed, wanting to get away from Ozpin and this place. "What did you drag me into?" The raven-haired woman stressed the last word with venom.

"Raven. I assure you that I am not responsible for this." Ozpin calmly sipped on his mug, ignoring the enraged look his former student was giving him.

"Don't lie to me." Raven gritted her teeth.

"Hey, Raven…" Tai cautiously greeted his former wife. "How's it going?"

"Yeah, mom," Yang said with a smile that didn't reach her eyes. "How's it going?"

Vernal stood up and blocked their line of sight. "Raven? What do we do?"

"Family troubles. Give me popcorn." Mercury snickered as a bowl of popcorn appeared on his lap.

_"Silence."_ The Hosts commanded. After a brief moment of silence, the Hosts continued. _"We welcome our guests. Make yourself comfortable as we shall explain your situation."_

/-/

"This is obviously Ozpin's fault," Raven mumbled under her breath as Vernal looked at her leader with concern.

Tai awkwardly scratched his head as he sat next to Qrow. "She's really not liking this."

"Yeah. Rae can be a little bit grumpy. Bratty and pouty when she thinks Oz is involved."

"Is she still upset about… You know?"

Qrow shrugged, "Eh, I don't know what goes through her mind these days. Rae doesn't like to talk to me since forever."

"That does sound like her."

"So, what are you going to tell Yang?"

"… I don't know." Tai sighed, scratching his chin as he pondered what he should do now that the family is all here. Minus Summer, Ruby's mother… "I'll think of something, or you can."

"Ha, no can do Tai. This ain't my mess."

The Hosts interrupted their conversation as it was time for the next presentation. _"We will now continue on with our presentation. Bear in mind, that you shall be witnessing things within and beyond your realities."_

The room and screen darkened as the next presentation began to play.

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**NEXT: RWBY: 30 Days - Angel**

**One more reaction to a fan animation before we move onto something different. That does not mean I wouldn't be doing more reaction to fan animations, but I won't be doing it for now.**

**_I also strongly advise you to watch the SLVR Trailer on YouTube. The animations gets better as it goes on._**

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**Pardon my grammar, spelling, and sequences description.**

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**Another Note: I have posted some Concepts on my Profile page. If you're interested in what they are, come and check them out.**


	8. RWBY: 30 Days - Angel

**I do not own RWBY or the original characters (aside from the Hosts).**

**_I strongly advise you to watch the this animation of _****tommylau74****_ on YouTube. The animation is quite amazing._**

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**This one was difficult to write. The scenery, the details, the fight... That's why I started this series from the beginning. To test my writing skills.**

**Anyway, I am a bit woozy from this week, so forgive me there is some mistakes here. It is a bit of a long chapter.**

**Pardon my grammar, spelling, and sequences description.**

* * *

**RWBY: 30 Days - Angel**

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**The screen fades to black followed by white words appearing on the screen:**

**"Forget me not."**

These three simple words made Ruby thought of her mother. It wasn't a pleasant moment, but like Ren always said; a person is never truly dead unless they are forgotten.

"You okay?" Tai asked his daughter with a concerned expression. A similar one was worn by Yang as well.

"I'm okay," Ruby responded with a smile.

**The screen cuts to a snowy landscape, surrounded by thick trees. The snow fell and swirled in the air as the wind breezed through. The camera slowly pans down, revealing Weiss standing alone in the open clearing, alone.**

Weiss blinked, "That's… That's me!"

"We can see that, mini Ice Queen."

"Watch your tone, Qrow." Winter snapped at the huntsman while paying close attention to the screen. "Weiss, have you…?"

"No, Winter. I do not recall being in this scenario."

Glynda hummed, "So, we are watching an alternative reality, or possibly the future if our hosts are to believe?"

_"You are correct."_

This scene… The forest, the heavy snowfall. It all seems familiar to Ruby somehow. "I feel like I've been there before." She said to herself.

**"Caged bird."**

'Fitting.' Weiss thought to herself. She always did find herself as a caged bird, trapped by her father's influence and position as a Schnee and heiress of the Schnee Dust Company.

**Weiss opened her hand and let the snowfall gently onto her palm. She softly clenched her palm before opening it, revealing a single snow-covered rose petal.**

Ruby and Weiss glanced at each other, a similar thought came to their mind. A similar occurrence happened during the initiation where Ruby used her semblance and left Weiss in the dust. Not to mention it was in the forest as well.

"Don't tell me you left me there alone. In the cold no less!"

"That only happened once, and I'm sorry about that! Well, not the cold part. I think."

Tai raised an eyebrow, "You left your partner alone? When was that?"

"Later." Ruby delayed the subject for a later time.

**Weiss had an exasperated look but quickly masked it as she narrowed her eyes at a figure approaching her.**

"Your expressions tell us everything." Nora laughed at the annoyed look the on-screen Weiss had.

"Nora, please."

**A young lady, in a black dress with white frills made her way towards the heiress. Her support cane was laced with a sharp metal tip, scratching the snow-covered floor as she continued her way. **

**The camera changed to give the audience a good look at the mysterious person, revealing a young lady with white hair and pale skin. Her eyes were blindfolded with black cloth and her expression was cold and neutral.**

"Yo, Fox. Look's like we finally get a blind character on screen for the first time here. Eh, no offense to anyone." Coco nudged her fellow teammate.

"Uh-huh. Just so you know, I'm no longer blind here." The Hosts gave Fox his sight for the time being even though he could watch the screening through another method.

"Wait, what?" The people who knew Fox from Team CFVY were slightly shocked by this, but none were more shock than the Schnees.

For a different reason, of course.

Instead, they were surprised by the reveal of the mysterious young woman. The resemblance to their mother when she was young was surreal.

"Mother?!"

"That's your mother, Weiss?" Ruby asked, tilting her head with puzzlement. "Is a huntress?"

Winter quickly recovered and took a closer look at the young woman on screen. "No, that is not our mother. Her nose and chin are slightly different, and her age..."

"Wow, way to talk about your mother." Qrow snarked only to be reprimanded by Ruby.

"Uncle Qrow! Stop being mean to my partner's sister. And maybe their mother?"

"Okay, okay. I'm sorry." He rolled his eyes. Still, he does have several questions along with the rest of the casts. "A relative of yours?"

"Not that I am aware of," Winter replied coldly.

Nora was starting to get annoyed by the interruption and shushed them. "Shush! Quiet! Something is about to happen! I just know it."

**The mysterious young woman came to a halt several meters away from Weiss, resting her support cane down into the frozen ground. They faced each other silently as the young woman tilted her head to the side like she had been made aware of Weiss's presence.**

**In the background, the song "Mirror, mirror" started to play.**

"Wait, is that my song playing in the background?"

Jaune perked up at that. "Which song is that?"

"Mirror, mirror," Weiss replied.

"Hm. It looks like whoever this person is, she is not friendly." Ozpin said as he watched his student on screen.

**As the music started, the young woman stabbed her support cane into the snow, creating a black kaleidoscope pattern on the snowy floor. Black markings quickly engulfed the area, the ground rumbling as a decorated cage formed around them, trapping the two of them in the gilded cage.**

"Whoa…" Vernal said in slight awe as they watched the mysterious young woman performed her little stunt. "So, that's what 'caged bird' meant." The bandit smirk, taking a bite out of her traditional gyro wrap.

Raven merely rolled her eyes, but paid attention to the screen, nonetheless.

"Quite a useful semblance." Cinder noted to herself, "Look's like we'll see more of what this young lady can do."

"Ugh, it's like a mobile prison. Anytime, anywhere." Roman said with mocked horror.

**As the cage neared its completion, the young woman blurred from view. Weiss's eyes widen with surprise, her eyes darted to the side, trying to locate her opponent. **

**Her opponent struck first, smashing the ground with her support cane, leveling the ground with such force that it shook the camera. Weiss barely dodged it as her opponent flitted in front of her and thrust the handle of her cane at Weiss who nimbly dodged the attack.**

**Weiss flipped back and stood on her hand, deflecting the cane with a split kick, revealing that the handle of the young woman's cane is also a sword.**

Velvet sighed, for she was unable to capture the moment of the young woman's first attack. "She's too fast for me to keep track of."

Neptune and Sun agreed with the rabbit faunus statement. "No kidding. Was that part of her semblance?"

Nobody had an answer to that.

"I'm surprised Weiss was even able to dodge that," Yang mumbled, glancing at her partner Blake, who had been mostly silent. "She moves faster than you with Weiss's Time Glyph, Blakey."

"It looked like she teleported." Blake gave her own thoughts, "Either she's skilled in aura manipulation, or her semblance is giving her a boost."

Weiss looked proud from her teammates' remark, while her older sister had a slightly concerned expression on her face as the fight continued.

Meanwhile, Ruby was bouncing on her knee. "Her weapon is a sword cane! So, cool and sneaky! But what's that circle thing on the handle? Also, you're awesome Weiss! I can't believe you revealed her weapon with that kick, and –"

"Thank you, Ruby. For your compliment." Weiss placed a hand over Ruby's mouth. After ensuring that her partner won't start blabbing, the heiress removed her hand and gave Ruby a pat on the shoulder.

**With her blade partially unsheathed, the young woman drew it and aimed at Weiss's center mass; a glint of silver sliced through the air where Weiss was standing a second earlier. ****Weiss leaped to avoid the attack and spun in the air. The shattered moon behind her shone brightly as the cage finished forming, trapping the two in the black, gilded cage. Weiss drew her rapier as she landed and started attacking the mysterious young woman.**

**Their blades sparked against one another, silver arcs and flashes of steel blurred in front of them. Neither of them gave way as Weiss slash, stab, and thrust her rapier; striking the sword of the young woman who continued to defend herself with an unmoving expression. But ****Weiss remains relentless in her attack.**

**The mysterious young woman struck back with an overhead swing, striking a blue barrier that Weiss materialized from her rapier. The barrier crackled against the young woman's sword, forcing her blade back.**

Qrow stopped drinking and cleared his mind; analyzing the fight, piece by piece. He may be drunk most of the time, but that didn't stop him from being analytical and capable when he needed to be. "No offense to mini Ice Queen,"

"Hey!"

"But I think your opponent outclasses you there. She's playing with you now that she got a feel on your abilities."

Most of the adults seemed to have the same conclusion as well but didn't vocally support Qrow's statement. Aside from Raven, somewhat.

"A foolish way to fight, unless she's testing her opponent or possessing other intentions." From Raven's perspective, there should be no hesitation in a real fight. Toying with your opponent will only get you so far unless there is an advantage in doing so.

"Weiss can do it!" Ruby pulled her partner close to her with a hug, "Isn't that right, Team RWBY?"

"Yeah!"

**The barrier dissipated, allowing the mysterious young woman to attack once more with a lunge of her sword. **

**Weiss instantly moved, backflipping as the young woman's blade narrowly missed her shoulder. Understanding that she does not stand a chance against this young woman head on, Weiss continued to jump back, but not before summoning her glyphs to surround her opponent. ****Midair, Weiss formed a glyph at the base of her feet, boosting her momentum, lunging towards the young woman. Their blades met, screeching and clicking; white sparks showered the air.**

**The young woman stood her ground, her cane and sword crossed as she withstood the heiress attack. However, Weiss wasn't done yet as she disengaged from the brief skirmish and leaped onto a glyph that was hovering above them. **

**White blurs dashed past the young woman, each sending showers of white sparks onto the ground as Weiss bounced off of each glyph, trying to force an opening on her opponent's nigh impenetrable defense.**

"Yikes. Remind me not to get on your bad side, Snow Angel." Neptune's nickname for Weiss earned him a few eyebrows from Coco, Qrow, and Winter.

Normally, Weiss wouldn't mind, even enjoy Neptune's nickname for her. But this time, Winter is here, and it is a bit embarrassing to be called that in front of her sister. "R-rest assure, Neptune. I reserve that for the direst situation."

**A sharp metallic cling followed by a whirring sound could be hard as the young woman blocked another of Weiss's attack before sheathing her blade. The circular part of her sword cane's handle spun and trembled in the young woman's hand.**

Blake gulped, finding the fighting style similar to Adam's, but dismissed the thought from her mind as there were many others who use the iaijutsu fighting style.

"I don't like where this is going." Tai taught at Signal Academy and knew the signs of a weapon charging up for an attack. "Whatever that rotating orb on her weapon is, I can feel it building up power."

Ozpin nodded, "An excellent deduction, Tai."

"Weiss can handle it; I know you can." Ruby continued to cheer for the Weiss on-screen.

"You're embarrassing me," Weiss whispered to Ruby, who turned away with a slightly bashful expression.

Winter smiled at their little interaction. It was nice that her little sister was able to make good friends at Beacon. She returned her attention back to the screen, still worried about the Weiss on-screen.

**Weiss halted her momentum, crouching on the floor and kicking off once again. The Dust chambers in her rapier glowed bright white. Runes started to decorate the rapier's hilt and blade as the two combatants met.**

**Time slowed to a standstill. Weiss's runic rapier glowed ever so brightly, her eyes narrowed and focus on her target. On the other spectrum, the rotating orb on the young woman's sword cane spun even faster.**

"Look's like little Ice Queen should know better," Roman smirked at the reckless attack. When faced with a superior opponent, one should not rush head-on. Neo also shared his sentiment and wrung her hand with malevolent glee.

Tai rubbed his chin, "It seems that her cane stores energy of some kind. Maybe from her opponent's attack? We'll need to see more in order to determine what her cane does."

The mentioning of storing energy reminded Blake of Adam once more. _'Why does everything remind me of Adam?'_ She mentally groaned. _'I really should relax and enjoy the show.'_

**A close shot of the orientated handle showed how intense it was spinning, shaking the camera before exploding in a flash of white and black the moment their weapons made contact. ****The screen was engulfed in a blinding white light, temporarily blinding the audience for a brief moment before cutting to Weiss flying back from the impact. Several glyphs formed behind Weiss, slowing her momentum as she broke through them like fragile glass. **

**Regardless of her predicament, Weiss did not lose morale and leaped off the ground. While she was in the air, Weiss observed her opponent who was bleeding from the cut across her cheek that Weiss had inflicted.**

Ironwood frowned, "Why didn't she activate her aura?"

"I do not know, but if Qrow was right on his assessment; Weiss's opponent isn't taking her seriously." Glynda sighed, fixing her glasses. "No offense to you, Weiss Schnee."

"None taken, professor." Weiss curtly nodded, "Throughout the entire fight, my other self's opponent has been mostly defending herself, letting me dictate the fight despite possessing the capabilities to end this altercation."

"And her attacks are capable of being quite fast," Oobleck spoke up. The coffee-loving professor was no stranger to caffeine rush, moving and keeping track of things just as fast. But even he couldn't keep track of the mysterious young woman's initial attack. "Not to mention the strength she is capable of putting into her swings."

Penny also interjected into the conversation, "It appears that the blindfolded young woman is wielding a weapon weighing around 40kg, or 88.1849lbs."

"That's quite heavy for a decorated sword cane." Pyrrha said with a frown, "But that would explain the heavy strike from earlier."

"Nothing is heavy when you put your efforts into it." Port guffawed, "Still, what a fierce and cold woman that one is."

"Nooo… Weiss, don't leave me."

"Ruby, Weiss is sitting right there with you." Blake rolled her eyes with a deadpanned expression.

Vernal couldn't help but scoff at the Team RWBY's display. "You guys are so sentimental."

**Weiss spun in the air, combining her glyphs with Ice Dust forming swords made of ice and launching them from her glyphs. Sharp blades of ice rained down upon the mysterious young woman, but it was child's play to her. With a quick stroke of her sword, the young woman deflected all of the ice swords before sheathing her blade.**

The heiress couldn't help but frown at the ice swords her counterpart had created. They were too detailed.

In her current state, in order to save time and Dust; she would often leave them as sharp icicles to fire at her opponents instead of well-detailed swords.

**Weiss fell on all four as she landed on the ground. Her aura flickered as she looked defeated, the camera panned up showing the shattered moon, closed out by the black cage that surrounded them.**

"Weiss." Ruby whimpered as she hugged her partner tighter.

The heiress sighed softly as she ruffled Ruby's hair. "I'm right here, you dolt."

In the 'villain' section, Cinder and her underlings were unusually quiet throughout most of the presentation, preferring to watch the fight than commenting.

"How intriguing. She has barely moved from her spot, preferring to wait for her opponent to attack first."

Mercury snorted, "Rich girl is just bad, that's all. Not even worth the effort."

**The screen blackened, scenes changing; showing a patch of small blue flowers with bright green leaves. It quickly cuts to a beautiful rural like area, a stone house surrounded by fields of blue flowers, suddenly engulfed in flames. **

**The scene continues to flicker through several scenes; a closed up of a person's red-colored eye, a small blue flower, and the mysterious young woman unblindfolded and smiling. Her smiling face was sudden marred with blood, ending the visions as Weiss opened her eyes with a gasp.**

"It looks like that was a flashback. Memories of our mysterious young lady. A tragic one backstory, it seems." Ozpin sighed. There were a lot of tragedies in the world, for no place is a perfect one. That's why the Grimm will always find prey to prey upon. "Hosts, who is this young woman that Miss Schnee is fighting?"

_"They call her Angel."_

Ozpin raised an eyebrow, "Who's 'they'?"

The Hosts remained silent, not answering Ozpin's question.

As for Winter, she had other questions. "Is the Weiss on-screen experiencing those visions? How and why?"

_"It's from Angel's semblance. You'll see soon."_

**Weiss shook her head gently, picking herself up from the snowy floor, black markings from Angel's semblance clung to her hand like tar as she stood back up. It wrapped itself around her hand, spreading throughout her entire right body. **

**She didn't seem to notice this as she turned to face her opponent, unaware that the black markings had finished taking ahold of her, decorating her right face and body with graceful strokes.**

"What's happening to Weiss?" Jaune asked, concerned for his unrequited crush much to Pyrrha and Weiss's annoyance.

"We'll have to see," Pyrrha whispered.

**The wound on Angel's cheek instantly healed as she lifted her support cane and slammed it into the center of the black kaleidoscope pattern, splitting and turning the pattern on the floor.**

Neptune rubbed his eyes as the floor pattern on-screen made him feel a bit lightheaded. "Whoa, that's a bit trippy."

**Weiss was taken aback by the shifting pattern on the floor, quickly maneuvering her footwork as she made use of her dance lessons. Twirling slowly, gracefully; the heiress danced, and arabesque jumped over the ever-shifting floor pattern as she glared at Angel who stands their motionless.**

"She's underestimating you." Winter scowled at Angel on-screen. "Unless her little display requires heavy concentration or immobility, I cannot imagine why she would dare stand in place."

"T-thank you, Winter." Weiss stammered at her sister's comment.

"Don't write her off yet, Schnee." Raven said bluntly, "Your little sister's opponent is dangerous. This is just the beginning."

**Seeing that her opponent was underestimating her, Weiss closed her eyes and focused on avoiding the pattern on the floor. The background turned black, white flower petals covered the entire screen. Rotating black kaleidoscope over a shining white background hogged the screen for a moment before returning to Weiss dancing in the spotlight.**

**No cage, no walls, only pitch blackness that surrounds Weiss and the ever-shifting pattern on the floor while a single large spotlight shined down upon her. It was as if she was dancing in a dream-like ballroom, twirling, jumping, kicking throughout the entire floor; never touching the pattern that danced below her.**

Mercury couldn't help but compliment the heiress for avoiding the freaky patterns. "That deserves a praise from me."

"A legitimate one?" Emerald asked with a disbelieving tone.

"Got a problem with that?"

"You never 'legitimately' praise anyone."

"There's a first time for anything."

Ignoring her underlings' squabbles, Cinder silently continued to watch all while making mental notes to herself.

**The world returned to normal as Weiss split leap into the air, summoning a glyph as she descended. Throughout her entire dance, Weiss was constructing multiple glyphs around her opponent, leaving Angel no easy escape.**

Glynda rubbed her head in annoyance. There were many overconfident huntsmen that would give their enemies, heck, even let their enemies prepare before attacking. The result is predictable in most cases, but it was unwise to allow one's opponent to prepare themselves, even if the enemy is greatly weaker than them.

Make no mistake though, Glynda is quite pleased that the Weiss on-screen was taking advantage of that.

"Children. Let me remind you that no matter how weak your opponent is, never give them the time to plan out an attack." Glynda crossed her arms in annoyance. She had seen this type of behavior many times throughout her training and career. It has never ceased to vex her.

The same could be said for Ironwood, so many times were the officers in the military overconfident with their planning that they showed weakness, giving their enemies the time to fortify their plans and defenses.

"You'll be amazed how difficult your opponent can be given enough time to prepare," Ironwood added in.

All the students took this advice to the heart and nodded.

**Ice swords started to form from the glyphs, their blades pointed at Angel who remained motionless on the spot. **

**Weiss finally opened her eyes. They were mismatched. Her right eye was darkened, tainted by the black markings across her right face and her grin…**

**It wasn't just a confident or smug grin; it was also malicious.**

Immediately, the audience knew something was off.

Vernal couldn't help but take a jab at the heiress. "Showing your true colors?"

"Was that a pun?" Yang shot back.

"Urgh, no." Vernal glanced nervously at Raven who seemed to have a dislike for puns.

"No. Something's wrong," Ren mumbled. While he doesn't know Weiss as much as the rest, he knows that Weiss could never hold such a malevolent expression.

Weiss felt slightly numb as she gently touched the right side of her face. "That's not me anymore." She realized after seeing the sinister grin.

"Weiss..."

"I'm fine, Ruby. That's not really me anyway." Though it was no secret that Weiss was a bit concerned about her other self-on-screen.

As for Winter, she placed an assuring hand on her sister's arm, comforting her.

**Angel remained where she stood, black petals breezed around here as the background was engulfed in white light, silhouetting the young lady. The black petals shifted colors, transitioning the scene to a dark room lit only by the shattered moon. **

**Angel sat alone in the room, unblindfolded, alone; looking longingly out of the barred window.**

The Schnees couldn't help but feel slightly sympathetic towards Angel. They know the feeling of being a caged bird, trapped by high expectations, burdens, and their father's iron grip. They too wanted to be free.

"Aw, she looks so sad," Nora said with a pouty expression.

**The darkroom vanished. Returning back to the battle as Angel stabbed her support cane onto the floor once more, retracting the black kaleidoscope pattern on the floor. Her action caused Weiss to narrow her eyes, wondering what her opponent is up to. Weiss prepared her glyphs that were shaking with increasing frequency, ready to skewer her opponent with impunity. **

**The screen cuts to a bird in a cage, then to the patterns retracting back to Angel's weapon. Back and forth the scene went; the bird in the cage trying to free itself to Angel gripping her cane tightly. **

**Weiss's eyes constricted, signaling the glyphs to let loose their ice swords. Ice blue streaks shot towards her opponent, just in time as Angel's semblance reformed itself into her wings.**

**Black, decorated wings shot out behind Angel's back as Weiss's ice sword hit their mark. A bright blue explosion erupted from the impact; frozen swords met cold steel as Angel reflected the entire volley. Countless of Weiss's summoned swords flew back, fiercely impacting the frozen ground as the heiress stood there, watching her opponent 'dance'.**

Jaune's mouth was agape at this scene, "Whoa."

"That's an understatement." Ren wore a similar expression.

**The background music intensified as Angel's blade and cane blurred with each stroke, deflecting blue streaks of light that strayed near her way, never moving from her spot. Weiss raised her rapier and formed a large glyph behind her as Angel continued to deflect the storm of frozen swords, littering and embedding the battlefield with ice swords.**

"How mesmerizing." Ozpin murmured.

Cinder couldn't help but agreed with Ozpin's despite being her enemy. "Amazing."

The scene was awe-inspiring, but also frightening. This young woman named Angel, just how strong is she? Even Raven couldn't help but feel a little bit cold as Angel blurred and swatted the frozen sword from their trajectory.

"She lives up to her strength." The bandit queen lips curled a bit, "Where did she get it from?"

"Y-you can do it, Weiss!" Ruby continued to cheer for her partner.

Yang also joined in, "Yeah! There's no way she can keep that up!"

"Uh, go Weiss." Blake numbly added in, still taken aback by the sheer power Angel displayed.

"I will also help my friend to cheer for her partner." Team RWBY, minus Weiss, and Penny pumped their fist in the air and waved small flags with their team's name on it.

Qrow rolled his eyes. "Cheering isn't going to help mini Ice Queen there." No doubt the battle was nearing its end, and Weiss won't be the one winning this. Qrow could feel it.

Weiss partially hides her face behind her hand, "You guys are really embarrassing me." She then narrowed her eyes at her counterpart on screen, wondering what the other Weiss was planning. "That glyph, what is my counterpart doing aside from going crazy?"

**Weiss spun her sword and stabbed it into the ground, activating the large glyph behind her. The glyph flashed and split apart like a gateway; two metal claws grasped the edge of the gateway from the darkness revealing the Arma Gigas Weiss had slain during training.**

**The Arma Gigas turned white as red markings glowed across its body. Red eyes formed in the helmet visor and the lower face mask cracked open revealing a glowing red mouth. Setting its jaw apart, the Arma Gigas opened its mouth and roared.**

Cinder's eyes perked up at the appearance of the Arma Gigas. She unlocked her scroll and materialized a pen to write/type things down. Her underlings looked at her oddly while she took down some notes. "The Schnee's family semblance has always fascinated me to some extent."

In the 'hero' section, a certain few were doing a double-take.

"Wait, what?!" Weiss yelped with surprise. She has yet to utilize her summoning glyphs, barely able to summon anything at all. And the appearance of the Arma Gigas… It shouldn't even look like that! "W-what, my… How…? My semblance c-can't do that!"

Her sister also shared a similar shocked expression. She was well aware of her sister's difficulty with summoning, but that's not the point in this case. It was the appearance of the Arma Gigas that baffled her. Any beings summoned from their glyphs would have a distinctive ice-like appearance and not morphed into whatever abomination was on screen.

"Weiss, you can summon Grimm?" Ruby asked, slightly awed and horrified.

She shook her head, "Not like that!"

Winter nodded, "Indeed, the beings that we summoned from our glyphs could be described as moving ice sculpture, representing their original form. I had never seen our glyphs do something like this."

"So, this Angel's semblance is affecting Weiss's semblance?" Jaune asked meekly.

"That is a realm of possibility." Glynda joined in on the discussion. "But there are many factors to consider for now. It is best if we continue watching."

**The roar from the Arma Gigas alerted Angel to its presence. Believing that she has the upper hand, Weiss grinned manically, conducting the Arma Gigas attack by swinging its large sword overhead and bringing it down upon its target. **

**Angel swung her blade to meet the Arma Gigas sword, blocking its attack. However, the impact sent her flying back right into another series of Weiss's glyphs that surrounded her. The glyphs produced a blue beam that locked onto Angel, simultaneously firing a volley of sharp frozen blades that impaled her black wings. **

**Despite her wings being impaled, Angel was unharmed for her wings had encompassed her entire being, protecting her from the attack. Angel sharply spread out her wings, flinging back the frozen sword in all directions. **

**A lone frozen sword flew past Weiss, giving the audience a clear view of Weiss's deranged grin as her sanity slips further and further away.**

"She's losing it." Raven snorted at the heiress's expression on screen.

Tai raised an eyebrow, "Did you just make a pun, Raven? Err, no offense to you, Miss Schnee. And other Miss Schnee. Eheh."

Ozpin, Glynda, Qrow, Raven, and Yang all blinked.

"Well, well." Ozpin smiled while Glynda facepalmed.

"…" Raven went deathly silent.

"Yeees, you did." Her former husband continued to tease.

"Damn it, Rae. You too? As if Tai and Yang weren't enough."

"Heeeey! So that's where I got my awesome pun making skills from!" Yang grinned half sadistically, half joyfully.

"Earmuffs. Please." Raven begged the Hosts who complied with her request.

"You can't hide your true self, mother." Yang sang to her own enjoyment.

Roman groaned at the mention of puns, remembering his younger days in a Huntsman Academy. "Can we please continue watching? No puns, please?"

"I can't believe I am saying this, but I agree with Roman." Blake shivered, "Let's finish watching this."

**The Arma Gigas raised its giant sword and lunged at Angel once more, but its opponent was well prepared this time.**

**In quick succession, Angel parried the giant sword with her cane and guided her sword, cutting the Arma Gigas arm off in a single stroke. Disarmed, but functional, Weiss and the Arma Gigas turned around to charge up an attack; a red orb of energy started to form at the Arma Gigas mouth.**

"Size isn't everything." Yatsuhashi sagely said.

Coco whistled, "The bigger they are, the harder they fall."

"It can shoot lasers?" Ruby half-squealed by the prospect of her partner being able to do just that. Only without the crazy part.

"So, it would seem," Penny confirmed with a nod.

**The screen flashed white as the audience is taken back to the darkroom, illuminated by the shattered moon.**

"Another flashback." Ironwood hummed.

**A door behind Angel opened, bright light pouring through. Surprised, Angel turned around to see who it was. **

**The scene cuts back to Angel in the present day, the rotating orb in the handle of her sword cane spun rapidly as black miasma shrouded around her blade. The Arma Gigas fired its red beam, shockwaves rippled across the battlefield as the beam shot straight towards Angel. **

**Unfazed, Angel calmly raised her sword and sliced the air. Black miasma tore through the ground and shattered Weiss's Arma Gigas, disrupting its attack and ending the fight as the song in the background slowly died down. **

**A brief glimpse of the past was shown in a dream-like sequence. A silhouette of a person stood at the doorway, someone's beautiful red eyes, and a broken birdcage with pools of blood and a lone black feather.**

"There's a deep meaning behind those images." Neptune said quietly, "Did she set herself free and let someone mend her wings? Or was she set free? Neither?" He pondered deeply.

Ozpin took a sip from his mug, "We may never know."

"Nooo, Weiss!"

"I'm right here you dolt. Please, for your sake and everyone else nearby… Don't scream."

**Angel stood behind her slowly dissipating cage; wings spread out gracefully. The white background, the silhouettes… All slowly fading away as the screen cuts to black.**

"Is… It over?" Jaune asked.

_"Almost…"_ The Hosts replied.

"That can't be good." Sun mumbled under his breath.

**The screen cuts to Angel of the past, covered in blood, and in her hands were two swords also coated in blood. **

**Around her were death and destruction. **

**The camera slowly zoomed in towards her, abruptly flashing to her blood-soaked face, covered in black markings like the one Weiss was sporting earlier. Her smile was sadistic, sinister, and deranged.**

**Gone.**

**Just like that, Weiss woke up gasping.**

"Wait, it was all a dream?" Jaune was puzzled.

"Yay, it was all a dream!" Ruby hugged her partner, glad that she wasn't going all crazy.

"Get off of me."

Ironwood didn't look convinced, "I think something is up."

"Huh?"

**Weiss sat back up in the same snow-covered forest that she started. Next to her was Ruby Rose, her partner who was also starting to wake up.**

"Hey, I'm with you as well. See? I told you I didn't abandon you."

Blake frowned, "Why are you guys taking a nap in the cold, and in the forest no less?"

No one had an answer for that.

**"Ruby?" Weiss asked her partner with a concerned tone.**

**Ruby wiped her eye with her sleeve, looking a bit dazed as she opened her eyes. Her eyes constricted as Weiss fell upon her, gripping Ruby by the throat with both hands and proceeded to strangle her.**

**Black markings decorated Weiss's right face, a malicious grin formed on her face, gleefully choking the life out of Ruby.**

"What?!" Half of the audience screamed in shock while Ruby was stunned silent.

"Weiss, what are you doing?!" Yang shouted in fury.

Qrow and Tai were also in a similar fit, "Ruby!"

"It's not me!" Weiss said in a panic. She would never do such a thing to her partner.

Winter quickly defended her sister, "My sister would never do such a thing! It's that woman's semblance that's influencing her!"

"That's a twist," Roman grumbled darkly, not sure how he would react if Neo suddenly felt like killing him. Of course, she would never intentionally harm him, but if someone else was forcing her too…

"Interesting. Truly interesting." Cinder giggled to herself, "What a wonderful semblance." She purred softly so that no one aside from her underlings can hear.

Ironwood sighed and tried to pacify the masses. "Everyone, please! Calm down, this is just a…" He tried to find a word to describe what they are watching. An alternative reality? The future?

_"Restrain yourself. You are merely watching one of the many outcomes and realities of your universe. What happens on screen may not truly happen."_

"Weiss would never do something like that to me, or anybody," Ruby said with a firm tone. "It's that creepy woman that's making her do bad things."

"Thank you, Ruby. It means a lot to me." Weiss breathed a sigh of relief.

Everyone calmed down and settle back in their seats but was slightly agitated by the turn of events on the screen.

**Ruby whimpered as oxygen was slowly cut from her brain. Tears and saliva ran down her face, desperately trying to breathe once again. The screen slowly turned white, silhouetting Ruby, Weiss, and the shattered moon.**

"Are you alright, Ruby?" Penny asked. Her worried expression was genuine.

"I'm fine," Ruby answered, ignoring the smoldering her sister and father were giving her. "I think we're about to recreate the scene on screen…" Her family quickly let go of her with a sheepish laugh.

"Sorry."

**Suddenly, there was the sound of chains whipping in the air that caught Weiss's attention. Weiss leaped back while Ruby instinctively crawled away from her partner, just in time to dodge an attack from an unknown assailant. **

**Weiss looked visibly annoyed before flinching, holding her face with one hand like she was in a daze. When she glanced back up, the black markings were gone along with her discolored right eye. **

**Still kneeling on the floor, Weiss looked quizzically at the chained weapon before her. It jingled softly as its unseen wielder reeled it back. **

**The screen cuts to black.**

"Is it finally over?" Pyrrha asked in Jaune's place.

"It is."

Qrow took a long drink out of his flask before standing up. "Okay. What the hell was that about?" Having seen his youngest niece nearly being choked to death had made him very angry.

"Yeah, what gives?!" Tai and Yang said simultaneously.

_"An outcome. There will be many more to witness, but many will not be within your possibilities."_

Qrow scowled, "What do you mean?"

_"The world is vast, the universe is vaster, but the multiverse is infinite. You shall witness many great things along with many horrible things. The demise of oneself or others shall be witnessed."_

"That's confusing and vague. Are you guys dodging the question?" Coco asked with a cautious tone. She did not want to push her luck against whatever these Hosts are.

"Like a politician," Winter grumbled under her breath, earning a nod from Ozpin, Glynda, and Ironwood.

_"We are merely stating the facts. It is up to you to believe what we say, for we see many things beyond what you can handle. As such, our explanation may be profound."_

That would make sense about their cryptic explanation at times…

"Our Hosts has a point, you know," Roman spoke up, feeling the spotlight turned towards him. "If they can show us alternative realities, past, present, future, wouldn't you have a different sense of perception. Heck, even explanation? Can you even explain everything that's lead up to whatever events? Just sit back and enjoy the show folks, there's nothing we for the ones on the screen."

Qrow grumbled as he sat back down. "Doesn't mean we'll like it."

"Life is like that, little brother."

"Oh, shut it, Rae. I still haven't forgiven you for making that pun earlier." That seemed to brighten the mood as Tai and Yang suddenly grinned mischievously.

"It. Wasn't. On. Purpose." Raven seethed, getting up from her seat just to get away from her daughter and former husband. "Stay back. If I could hurt you, I will."

"Aw, don't be like that. You like my puns." Tai laughed.

"No, it's exactly the reason why I left you." She lied.

_"We will now move on to another presentation. This one shall be comedic, we assure you… It is time for something completely different."_

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**NEXT:** **Biggus Dickus - Monty Python, Life of Brian**

**_I strongly advise you to watch the this animation of _tommylau74****_ on YouTube. _****_The animation is quite amazing._**

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**Pardon my grammar, spelling, and sequences description.**

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**Another Note: I have posted some Concepts on my Profile page. If you're interested in what they are, come and check them out.**


	9. Monty Python - Biggus Dickus

**I do not own any characters, but the Hosts.**

**Here's how I will be doing to reaction stuff. If I am unable to get a decent transcript or understanding of the characters and plot of the other universes, I will replace them with the RWBY casts. ****That includes the names of the characters as well.**

**With that said, enjoy this small chapter.**

**Pardon my grammar.**

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**Monty Python, Life of Brian - ****Biggus Dickus **

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The screen darkens as the audience wondered what would be shown in the next presentation.

"What do you think will be next? Our Hosts did say it was comedic." Penny asked her friend, Ruby.

"I don't know, but hopefully it'll take our mind away from the last presentation."

"I hope there will be puns."

Everyone in the audience, minus Tai and maybe Nora, flatly looked at Yang. "No."

"Oh, oh! It's starting!" Nora bounced from her seat.

**The scene takes place in the ancient eras; in the audience chamber of the fifth governor of the Roman province of Judaea, Pontius Pilate.**

Oobleck blinked, "Those marble columns and floor, the mosaic in the makings, the clothing…" The historian summoned a sketchbook and pen from the air, drawing and writing what was on screen. "Is this from the historical past?!"

"Ugh, their fashion…" Coco recoiled.

"Barty is hyperventilating." Beacon's faculty members looked at their history professor with disquiet.

_"Correct. However, this does not take place within your known universe. It hails from another world, another planet called Earth. There is no aura, no Grimm, no Dust, no faunus, and no magic. The people you see here are the citizens or soldiers of the Roman Empire. The Romans"_

Doubletake from everyone regarding aura, Dust, and Grimm. Another set from Ozpin and Cinder regarding magic. Blake on the faunus part.

"Interesting! Intriguing! No wonder! The architecture and decoration styling is different, yet familiar!" Oobleck frantically wrote it down with blistering speed.

**A ragged man with a skull cap named Brian is hauled into Pilate's audience chamber. It is big and impressive, although a certain amount of redecorating is underway. **

**As the Centurion strides closer to Pilate, he salutes, "Hail Caesar."**

**Pilate saluted back with his hand raised, "Hail Caesar."**

"Are they…" Jaune tried to find his sentence, "Praising their god with their greetings?"

"Or someone of importance." Oobleck nodded as he wrote that down.

"Boring," Mercury said under his breath. This presentation looked very bland.

Ironwood and Winter, on the other hand, were a bit curious about the guards in red. Atlas Military taught its soldier and officer cadets the History of Military Arts, but when it comes to the more ancient eras, the accounts were poorly recorded.

"These must be elite guards if they're tasked with protecting the governor." Ironwood mused.

"And the one with the golden markings on his segmented cuirass is most definitely their officer." The older Schnee leaned back on her seat.

**"Only one survivor, Sir." The Centurion stated, turning his attention to Brian who was flanked and carried by two Roman guards.**

Everyone raised an eyebrow. One survivor? From what? This does not sound like a comedic act.

"Maybe not." Mercury took it back.

Tai shook his head, "Off to a dark start. Maybe a black comedy?"

Everyone groaned.

"That wasn't on purpose." The blond man was taken aback.

Roman scowled, "I find that hard to believe." His partner in crime, Neo, nodded in agreement.

**"Thwow him to the floor." (Throw him to the floor) Pilate commands.**

**The Centurion swiveled his head to get a better hearing of his governor. "What, Sir?"**

Coco laughed at the funny accent, "Holy smokes. Even the officer doesn't know what his boss is saying!"

"There's even subtitles for the guy." Sun snickered.

**"Thwow him to the floor." (Throw him to the floor) He repeated once more, eyes wide with slight annoyance. **

**"Ah!" The Centurion motions to the two Roman guards, who throw Brian to the ground. ****Brian grunted as he hit the floor, his fallen position made it seemed like he was prostrating before the governor. **

**"Humph. Now, what is your name, Jew?"**

"What's a Jew?" Blake asked their Hosts.

_"Jews or Jewish people are ethnoreligious group/cultural community whose traditional religion is Judaism."_

"I see."

"I take it, the Jews and the Romans are at odds with each other?" Said Ironwood.

_"Correct. There have been several uprisings against Roman occupation throughout the years."_

"Yes… Yes…!" Oobleck wrote down the information.

**"Brian, sir." He raised himself from the floor slowly.**

**Pilate looked up at the ceiling thoughtfully. "Bwian, eh?" (Brian, eh?)**

**Believing that Pilate had misheard his name, he corrected the governor. "No, no. Brian." The Centurion cuffs him. "Ow!"**

"So, mean!" Ruby fumed, "He was trying to help."

"The accent isn't really helping things." Neptune tried to keep the grin off his face.

**The governor made an amusing sound. "The little wascal has thpiwit." (The little rascal has spirit.)**

Vernal frowned, "If it weren't for the subtitles I wouldn't have understood that."

"This is stupid." Raven rolled her eyes.

**"Has what, sir?" The Centurion leaned closer looking slightly confused.**

**"THPIWIT." (SPIRIT.) Pilate loudly repeated.**

**His officer snapped to attention. "Yes, he did, sir."**

**Pilate wasn't convinced that his Centurion understood what he meant. "No, no, thpiwit...bwavado...a touch of dewwing-do." (No, no, spirit. Bravado, a touch of derring-do.)**

"Now, that's just sad," Roman smirked.

Tai chuckled, "Ah, I think I know where this is going."

"What is derring-do mean?" Ruby asked Weiss.

The heiress frowned, not entirely familiar with the word. It was Penny that saved the day.

"Derring-do means an action displaying heroic courage."

"Ah, thanks, Penny!"

"You're very much welcome!"

**Still not really understanding the governor, the Centurion responded with what he believed was asked. "Ah. About eleven, sir."**

**Pilate frowned, slowing turning his head and stared at his commander with an incredulous expression.**

Half of the audience burst out laughing or grinning at the miscommunication at play.

"Oh god! This is going to be good!" Yang cackled at Pilate's expression.

Even Ironwood and Glynda couldn't help but shake their heads all while smiling. It was a familiar sight; the Huntsman Academy gathers students throughout the entirety of Remnant. Culture, accent, beliefs, gestures… There was bound to be miscommunication or interpretation among the student body.

The results were generally hilarious.

**"So, you dare to waid uth." (So, you dare to raid us?) Pilate continued on with his 'interrogation.' **

**Rising to his feet, Brian looked confusedly at Pilate. "To what, sir?"**

**Pilate looked very annoyed as he turned his body and fixed his toga. "Stwike him, centuwion, vewwy woughly." (Strike him, centurion, very roughly.)**

**The Centurion complied by backhanding Brain across the face. "Oh, and throw him to the floor, Sir?" He asked the governor.**

**"What?" Pilate was distracted from readjusting his bracers.**

**"THROW him to the floor again, Sir?"**

**"Oh, yeth. Thwow him to the floor, please." (Oh, yes. Throw him to the floor, please.)**

**The Centurion nodded at the two guards throw him to the floor. They lifted Brian up a few inches before pushing him down onto the floor.**

**"Ahgw!" Brian yelped as he hit the smooth, stone floor.**

"What was the point in that?" Emerald asked all while sporting a grin on her face. There's nothing funnier than powerful figures acting like buffoons.

"Why not?" Cinder shrugged, slightly amused.

**"Now, Jewith wapscallion…" (Now, Jewish rapscallion…)**

**"I'm not Jewish. I'm a Roman!" Brian corrected.**

Oobleck adjusted his glasses, "It appears that the conquered are assimilated into this Roman Empire. Is that correct?"

_"That is correct."_

"Quite a policy." Raven quipped at that. The Branwen Tribe had a similar policy when it comes to recruiting new members from settlements and rivaling groups.

**"A woman?" (A Roman?)**

**"No, no, ROMAN"**

**Brain received another backhand strike from the Centurion.**

Coco was chuckling at the 'woman' part. "His accent is hilarious."

Team CFVY was grinning like a Cheshire cat.

"He certainly has his way with words." Yang chortled, earning a few groans from her teammates.

**"Tho, your father was a woman. Who wath he?" (So, your father was a Roman? Who was he?) Pilate asked while inspecting his nails. **

**Brian raised himself up from the floor while proclaiming proudly. "He was a centurion in the Jerusalem Garrison, sir."**

Ironwood raised an eyebrow. "His father was an officer of their army?"

Blake shook her head with disgust. This scenario wasn't so farfetched with the dealings happening for the faunus at Atlas.

**"Really?" Pilate looked intrigued, "What was his name?" **

**"Nortius Maximus." (Naughtius Maximus.) **

**Involuntary wheezing-like titter arises from the Centurion before he returned to his stoic expression.**

The students burst out laughing at that name.

"What kind of name is that?!" Ruby was giggling madly, nearly slipping out of her seat in the process.

Jaune covered his hand across his face, joining in on the laughter. "Who? Who?!"

"Who names their kid that?!" Roman slapped his knee and fell back on his chair laughing.

"And I thought I had it worst!" Mercury and Emerald shook their heads with amusement.

"Ohohoh! What an hilarious name." Port tugged on his mustache.

**Pilate had a wildered look. "Centuwion, do we have anyone of that name in the gawwison?" (Centurion, do you have any one of that name in the garrison?)**

**The Centurion looked at the governor with disbelief. "Well… No, sir."**

**"Well, you sound vewwy sure. Have you checked?" (Well, you sound very sure. Have you checked?)**

"Was it all a lie, or a coverup?" Vernal thought out loud at the Centurion's denial.

Raven sighed, though her lips were twitching every so often. "I think I know…"

**"Well… No, sir. I think it's a joke, sir… Like Sillius Soddus, or Biggus Dickus."**

Coco and Yang snorted at the two given names while Glynda pinched her forehead.

**The last name seemed to catch the governor's attention. With a frown, Pilate snapped his head towards the Centurion and asked, "What's so funny about Bigguth Dickuth?" (What's so funny about Biggus Dickus?)**

"No!" Tai pointed at the screen with a big grin on his face. "No!" He said with mocked denial as he glanced at Qrow and Raven. They stared back at him with a similar expression. "No way!" He half-squeaked.

"Don't tell me." Glynda's eye twitched.

"So, it would seem." Ozpin let out a chuckle.

"What? What's wrong?" Ruby asked her father who didn't respond.

"I think we're about to find out," Pyrrha answered, clutching her arm in an attempt to control herself from laughing.

**Looking baffled, the Centurion replied slowly. "Well, it's a joke name, sir."**

"Even I wouldn't believe it." A big grin was plastered on Ironwood's face.

Winter was surprised at the general's expression. "Sir?"

**This seemed to confused Pilate greatly. "I have a vewwy gweat fwend in Wome called Bigguth Dickuth." (I have a very great friend in Rome called Biggus Dickus.)**

**A burst of involuntary laughter came from a nearby guard. The outburst surprises Pilate.**

Tai slammed his hand on the armrest of his chair and pointed at the screen. "No! I knew it!"

"Oh god…" Raven facepalmed while her brother, Qrow, took a quick swig from his flask before storing it away.

"I would have ended the one who had given me such an obscene name before ending myself!" Glynda exclaimed with shock.

Yang crossed her arms and wrapped herself very tightly, trying to restrain her laughter. "I can't… I can't believe someone is named… That! Haha!"

**"Silence!" Pilate stormed over to the guard and got up near his face. "What is all this insolence?" He pointed a finger at the guard. "You will find yourself in gladiator school vewwy quickly with wotten behaviour like that." (You will find yourself in gladiator school very quickly with rotten behavior like that.)**

"Gladiators! I thought I would never hear that word again!" Oobleck exclaimed as he wrote it down quickly.

**The guard tries to stop giggling, resuming to his stoic expression while Pilate turns away from him, looking angry. **

**"Can I go now, sir?" Brian asked Pilate only to have the Centurion strike him again, knocking the skull cap off Brian's head. **

**Pilate stormed back to his original position, looking peeved. "Wait till Bigguth Dickuth hears of this!" (Wait till Biggus Dickus hears of this!)**

**The guard from earlier immediately breaks up again causing Pilate to turn on him. "Wight! Take him away!" (Right! Take him away!) He angrily pointed his finger at the snickering guard. **

**"Oh sir, he only…" The Centurion tried to defend the soldier, but the governor wanted none of it as the guard broke down in laughter even further.**

**"No, no! I want him fighting wabid wild animals within a week." (I want him fighting rapid wild animals within a week!)**

Cinder was quietly giggling to herself at the hilarity of the name and situation. "I can't blame him."

"It was worth it." Mercury agreed while sniggering.

"Remind me to rename my contacts once we get back." It was a petty gesture, but Cinder took great joy in the humiliation of her peers even if they weren't aware of it.

**"Yes, sir. Come on, you." The Centurion starts to drag out the wretched guard. **

**It seems that the guards were also distracted by the events unfolding, trying to keep themselves from laughing and thus, not paying attention to Brian. **

**"I will not have my fwendth widiculed by the common tholdiewy." (I will not have my friends ridiculed by the common soldiery!) Pilate angrily paced around before coming to a halt. He stared at the rest of the guards in attendance and slowly walked up towards them. "Anyone else feel like a little… Giggly…"**

**The guards stiffened and set their jaws tightly as their governor came up to them.**

"There's no way you guys can't laugh at the next part." Tai challenged with a wide grin.

"We'll see about that." Yang and Raven crossed their arms, accepting the challenge; silently on Raven's part.

Vernal bit her lips, trying to top her lips from curving upward, while Roman and Neo covered their mouths with their hands.

"You're on." Sun accepted the challenge as well.

Weiss sighed, "How vulgar." Though, deep inside; she found the skit hilarious especially how it was presented.

"We're going to lose." Coco giggled to which Yatsuhashi agreed.

Ozpin placed his cup down and clasped his finger in anticipation as well, earning him a glance from Ironwood and Glynda.

**"… When I mention my fwend…" He goes right up to one of the guards. "Biggus..." One of the guards stifled a titter. "Dickus?"**

**The guards couldn't help but crack a bit, trying extremely hard to keep their professionalism on that their face was starting to turn red. One of the guards standing near the pillar was more audible in his titter, earning him the attention of Pilate as he walked over to the guard. Meanwhile, the rest of the guards were sucking in their lips and cheeks, trying not to laugh.**

Ruby was already snigging at the scene, coming close to falling out of the chair if it weren't for Penny holding her up.

On the other spectrum, Winter was covering her face with a single hand, not wanting to join in on the comedic reaction.

**"And what about you? Do you find it… Risible…?" He asked the guard, who had sucked up nearly his entire lower face just to stop giggling and grinning.**

"AHAHAH! H-h-his face!" Yang and Nora broke down into laughter at the guard's face, adding into the hilarity that continues to build up in the audience.

**Pilate mockingly shook his head, "When I say the name… Biggus…" The guard's lip twitched violently upward; his face scrunched up, making a wheezing/whimpering sound. "Dickus?" Pilate leaned in very close to the guard's face, extremely peeved. The guard was closed to breaking, but the sound of sniggering from the other guards caught Pilate's attention.**

The audience was now filled with soft snickering.

**The guard clamped his jaw over his lip, returning to his somewhat stoic expression. Pilate glared at the guard before turning his attention to the two guards flanking Brian, who were slowly breaking down in restrained laughter. The governor walked over to them, forcing them to snap back to attention.**

**He walked behind the two guards, staring at them intently.**

"His face!" Nora laughed even harder at the governor's peeved expression. "I-I'm dying!"

"Same…" Jaune whimpered as he clutched his chest, ready to burst out in laughter.

**After a moment of silence, Pilate continued. "He has a wife you know…"**

**The guards tense up.**

"Oh god, no…" Weiss struggled to maintain her appearance.

Roman's eye twitched, "We're done for, Neo."

"Yes." Neo's sign said before the colorful girl dropped it in favor of covering her mouth with both hands, even though she is mute.

**"You know what she's called?" The guards shook their heads while bracing themselves. One of them closed his eyes and silently utter a prayer. "She's called… Incontinentia."**

**The guards relax.**

Emerald sighed a relief. "Whew. Made it."

"Same." Vernal got herself under control, looking proud.

**"Incontinentia Buttockth." (Incontinentia Buttocks.)**

"PFFFFFFT!"

**The guards fall about laughing, some trying very hard to restrain themselves before falling apart. **

**"Shut up! What is all of this?!" Pilate roared as he stomped around the chambers. **

**It didn't do much. **

**The guards were incapacitated, holding their sides and dropping their spears; the chamber was filled with uncontrollable laughter as the governor tried to regain order.**

The audience was no different, having broken down in laughter, most were in tears.

"C-c-c-can't… Breathe!" Blake gasped for air.

Ruby had fallen off her chair and was rolling on the floor, laughing while she covered her head with her cloak. Tai was pounding on his armrest, roaring with laughter before barreling over, joining his younger daughter on the ground.

Jaune and Pyrrha were leaning on each other for support, laughing their heads off while Ren covered his face, softly chuckling to himself. As for Nora… She was already long gone.

**"I've had enough of this wowdy webel, sniggering behaviour. Thilence!" But the guards are all hysterical by now, allowing Brian to escape his captivity. "You call yourselves Pawaetonian guards?!" Pilate notices Brian escaping, and yelled at his guards to capture the fleeing Jew. "Theize him! Theize him! Blow your noses and theize him!" **

**(I had enough of this rowdy-rebel, sniggering behavior! Silence! You call yourselves Praetorian Guards?! Seize him! Seize him! Blow your noses and seize him!)**

The screen fades to dark as the presentation ended, leaving nothing but a laughing mess.

Everyone was laughing to some extent.

"I can't… I just can't…" Coco wheezed while clutching her chest.

Sun gasped and coughed, "My lungs." He broke down again along with Neptune.

The laughing eventually subsided with everyone getting something to drink.

"Ah, I thought I was goner there," Qrow mumbled with a silly grin on his face.

Raven rubbed her face with annoyance, trying to wipe the stupid smirk off her face. "My face hurts…"

"That's the beautiful part about you, Rae." Tai whistled.

"Says the guy who went for Summer when I left." Her jabbed fell on deaf ears as everyone was partially recovering from the presentation.

_"We are pleased that you enjoy the presentation."_

"It was quite a breather!" Yang whooped.

"That better not be a pun, Yang."

Ozpin calmly took a sip from his mug, while glancing over at Oobleck's notes. It appears that the historian was interested in starting a fictional historical account for some reason. He chuckled softly, returning his attention to the Hosts.

"What shall you be presenting next?"

_"The Great War."_

Everyone immediately shut up.

_"One waged in a different universe and a different time. It shall be horrific beyond what any of you shall experience and witness."_

Ironwood looked intrigued but also perturbed. "That was not an exaggeration, was it?"

_"It is not. This world is much like the one you had just witnessed, but bleaker, yet promising. Their technology is primitive, yet advanced and destructive. Brace yourself, for you shall witness the Great War, known to many as World War 1."_

The adults silently mouthed 'World War 1' with a frown.

"This will be interesting." Cinder said to herself, extremely curious about the next presentation.

* * *

**NEXT:** **Battlefield 1 - Storm of Steel**

**Change of plans, I will not yet change the rating to [M] Mature yet due to how I wrote the next chapter.**

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**Pardon my grammar, spelling, and sequences description.**

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**Another Note: I have posted some Concepts on my Profile page. If you're interested in what they are, come and check them out.**


	10. Battlefield 1 - Storm of Steel

**I do not own any of the characters, but the Hosts.**

**Based off my gameplay from BF1, along with a few adjustments. I will not be changing the rating to [M] Mature yet, due to how the content for this chapter was written. ****RWBY casts Reacts to WW1. ****More WW1 and WW2 will be revisited/reacted in later chapters.**

**Here's how I will be doing to reaction stuff. If I am unable to get a decent transcript or understanding of the characters and plot of the other universes, I will replace them with the RWBY casts.**

**If I can't get the names of the characters I will be replacing the entire original casts with the RWBY ones. I will also do so if it helps ease my burden when it comes to writing the chapter, or I feel that it is out of touch.**

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**Pardon my grammar.**

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**Battlefield 1 - Storm of Steel**

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The Hosts briefly explained to them briefly about the world wars. Their reactions were to be expected.

"It's a shame that even without Grimm, humanity would still wage a large-scale war twice." There had already been one devastating war in Remnant, the Great War. Their Great War. To this day, the kingdoms have yet to fully recover from it. Ozpin wondered if it's within human nature to participate in conflicts continuously.

Most of the adults nodded in agreement with the headmaster.

"It would appear that some things never change. No matter where we are." Glynda said in a low voice.

_"Conflict is eternal. Without the Creatures of Grimm for humanity to unite against, humanity expanded greatly. Conflict was and is inevitable."_

The audience stayed silent, letting that sink in.

Ironwood crossed his arms, "They do not utilize Dust in their technology, correct?"

_"Correct. Dust does not exist in this world. There are many alternative sources of energy that these humans use to fuel their war machines."_

"And these alternative energy sources, do they exist in our world?" Ironwood pressed on.

_"Perhaps. Seek for it, then you shall have your answer. But know that it is no easy feat."_

The general made a mental note of that. He will be taking it up to the scientist back at Atlas for their thoughts.

"So… These weapons that they used." Ruby asked the Hosts, "You said that it's primitive, yet advanced and destructive? How does that work entirely?"

Oobleck spoke up, "A bit of a contradiction in that statement, but I believe it's the alternative source of propellant that they used for their weaponry that makes it destructive. Of course, that is just an assumption."

_"You are correct on your assumption. Hold your questions for now and brace yourself. It starts."_

The screen darkens as the presentation began.

**An African American man is seen sleeping on his bed as the song "Dream A Little Dream Of Me" plays throughout. The man shifts in sleep, seemingly in anxiety, while a woman tries to calm him down.**

"It's going to a flashback, isn't it?" Neptune had seen similar tropes from movies and TV shows back at Remnant.

Qrow took a long drink out of his flask, "At least the music is calming."

**The man suddenly opens his eyes, and the scene cuts to a World War I warzone. The man is revealed to be a Harlem Hellfighter, wakes up lying in the mud and is pulled up by another soldier. ****As he slowly recovers his senses, he sees many American, French and Imperial German soldiers stabbing or beating each other to death, while the song continues to play.**

"My word." Port scrunched up his eyebrow.

"Indeed." Ozpin no longer felt like he could drink from his mug and placed it in a cupholder.

Oobleck shared the same sentiment, but retained his observant trait, analyzing everything that is happening on screen. Glynda had covered her mouth with a frown. Seeing that this was a good time to get on her good side, Ironwood placed a hand on her shoulder and gave her a reassuring pat.

**One German soldier charges at him with his bayonet, but the Hellfighter dodges the attack and stabs him with his combat knife. He then spun around looking lost, watching an ally soldier pushing down another German soldier and started pummeling him. ****Throughout the battlefield, barren of life; the soldiers continue to maim one another. Slaughtering each other with anything they can get their hands on as fire and explosions echoed in the distances. Screams of pain, hatred, fear, and so much more filled the air.**

Raven put on her neutral face, "So, this is war…"

"They're tearing each other like rabid beasts."

"This is horrible, look at the amount of destruction they are causing." Winter said with horror, "This battlefield must have been a forest before this all started." She felt her stomach slightly churn as she watched soldiers brutally maul each other.

The Hosts were right. This sort of war, they had never experienced anything this savage before.

Jaune hesitated to say anything but mustered up the courage to ask the Hosts a question that has been forming in his head. "Why aren't they using their guns?"

"I also have the same question," Ironwood grunted, slightly horrified by what was occurring on the screen. "Don't tell me they ran out of ammo."

_"This is what true war is."_ The Hosts replied cryptically, _"For this era, that is."_

**The song fades out, and the Hellfighter is seen holding his rifle before the scene cuts to black. A brief description of World War I is shown.**

The first sentence was blurred out for some reason, but it was the next one that really caught everyone's attention.

**More than 60 million soldiers fought in "The War to End All Wars".**

Everyone was shocked by the number of soldiers participating in this war.

"But it didn't." Blake said to no one in particular, "It just led to another one."

"60… Millions?" Pyrrha said sadly.

"That's larger than the population for all kingdoms." Penny let out a steady breath, even though she is an android. "The population of this world must be quite large for there to be this many soldiers."

Roman lit a cigar and puffed out several clouds of smoke, "And many more unaccounted…"

Everyone went silent as the next sentence dropped the bitter truth.

**It ended nothing.**

**Yet it changed the world forever.**

**What follows is frontline combat.**

**You are not expected to survive.**

"Very blunt," Mercury said sarcastically.

**The scene changes to another person's perspective in first-person. He looks down at his weapon, an M1909 Benét–Mercié light machine gun. A Harlem Hellfighter officer ran up to the soldier and started barking orders while shaking him slightly.**

**"We're surrounded! We have to hold this line!" The officer said frantically, backing away, he took up position along with the rest. **

**The soldier gets ready to defend the position with his machine gun, watching a tank drive past him to confront the Imperial German Army advance. He ran past a couple of soldiers, dragging the dead and wounded with them away from the frontlines.**

"It looks like we're seeing this from another perspective," Yatsuhashi concluded. His teammates were taking the scene very well as they had been in similar situations, but not to the devastating extent of what was shown on the screen.

Ozpin nodded, "So, it seems."

**As the soldier took cover behind a nearly collapsed building, artillery fire intensified. The Imperial German Army has begun to soften their resistance. **

**"They're coming!" The Harlem Hellfighter officer shouted, "Hold men!" Imperial German Army soldiers commence the attack. Whistles can be heard blowing as they advance on the position followed by their war cries. "Fire at will!"**

"Cover your eyes, Ruby."

"I can handle it, Yang. I'm a huntress-in-training." Ruby said with a determined expression.

"But…" Yang glanced her father and uncle for help, but even they seemed to be caught in on the battle.

"Let her be." Weiss supported Ruby's decision, "We're here for each other anyway."

"Aww, Weiss!" Ruby squeezed her partner's hand.

**Through the thick smokes, the soldier could barely make out the figures of the charging German infantry and started to fire blindly at anything that moves. **

**"Hold your ground!" His officer's voice was barely audible over the explosions and gunfire. "Stand fast!"**

**The soldier repositioned himself to a window and mounted his machinegun on its frame, firing wildly at the hordes of charging German soldiers. For each German soldier killed, another takes its place, soon the machine gunner was forced to pull back from the window as grenades and bullets fell upon his position.**

**Reloading his weapon, the soldier lifted his machinegun once more and fired through the window, mowing down a small wave of German soldiers that walked straight into his line of sight. Nearby German soldiers took cover behind anything they could find, firing back.**

"They fight their wars without aura." Ironwood said quietly, "Without Dust and without Grimm, yet they achieved this much destruction with near archaic weapons."

Oobleck gave his own thoughts to the general. "People tend to underestimate how devastating weapons from past eras are. If this is what they're capable of here, then I shudder to imagine what they are capable of in the future."

"If they even have one after this." Glynda said bitterly, "There's even a second war like this… How do they even rebuild all this…? This… Destruction?"

"Be it what it may, but our Hosts did say that this world, for all its flaws has shown to be promising," Ozpin answered.

"But what does 'promising' mean in this context?"

"We'll have to see."

**Several bullets nearly struck the soldier, with one lucky bullet bouncing off his helmet, sending the soldier tumbling. **

**"Hold in place!" His officer roared, causing the soldier to quickly get up. He picked up his machinegun only to find it damaged beyond usage.**

"That sucks." Coco tried to lighten the mood, but it didn't do much.

**With a grunt, he threw it to the ground and unholstered his pistol, picking off his enemies that left their cover. However, there was no end to the advancing Imperial German Army. **

**"Stand fast! Hold men!"**

**German soldiers were already flanking their sides, running up the hills, charging and firing wildly. A friendly soldier unintentionally exposed himself as he took aim at the advancing Germans, taking two bullets to the chest; killing him. **

**The soldier glanced over towards his fallen comrade and saw the dropped rifle. He reloaded his pistol and holstered it, picking up the rifle and the ammo pouch.**

"This guy deserves credit for keeping his cool." Qrow gave a small toast to the soldier on screen. "Everyone there deserves it. No matter how fucked up that world is right now."

Ironwood nodded, "Agreed."

"Cheers to that." Raven and Vernal joined in.

"Swear!" Ruby cried out in horror.

**Taking aim, the soldier sniped several soldiers and a machine gunner in the rising smoke. But his position was quickly overwhelmed as soldiers climbed their way up the hill forcing him to fall back.**

**"Maintain your position!" His commanding officer shouted one last time.**

Yang growled angrily, "He's commanding his soldiers to die on the spot! What is he doing?! Why can't they move back?!"

"They're buying time," Ironwood answered, wearing a complicated expression. He had soldiers… Friends, go down in a similar fashion against the Grimm just to buy time for the civilians and wounded to escape.

**A German Flame trooper was seen flanking their right position, lighting up the entire entrenched area with liquid fire. The roaring flame drowned out their agonizing screams and everything seems to slow. The soldier leveled his rifle and fired at the Flame trooper. The bullet zipped through the Flame trooper's backpack, causing it to burst into flames as the chemicals reacted. **

**The Flame trooper flailed around in a panic before the backpack exploded, engulfing the area in a bright, fiery explosion. **

Nora clutched Ren's hand tightly, giving it a squeeze as they watched the soldiers die a horrible death. This amount of destruction makes everything they had known, and witness looks like child's play.

Neptune felt his throat dried up. He shakily summons a cup of water and downed it within a second. Wiping his mouth, he half-whimpered, "I think that just cured my aquaphobia…"

In the 'villains' section, nearly all of the individuals shivered at the fiery death, knowing that they too might experience it should they upset Cinder.

For her, the fiery death was music to her ears. The life of those taken is worth little to her. Still, it was a teeny bit unsettling to know that this is merely one of many wars waged in that world. The art of destruction that rivaled even Salem's should she have her way with the world.

**The soldier staggered back from the explosion, ears ringing as he tries to reestablish his position. He stumbled over the fallen walls only to see two German soldiers pointing their rifles at him. Before he could even react, they fired, killing him as the screen went black.**

**The screen changes to third-person, letting the audience watched the soldier whose eyes they've been viewing from fall to the ground. Around him, many soldiers, both friendly and enemy, die as the position is being held. **

**An eerie song played in the background as the name of the fallen soldier was revealed.**

**Clarence Point Coupee, 1900 – 1918**

"Rest well, Clarence." Ironwood gently said, saluting all the soldiers on-screen.

"Hats off to you." The thief said, "For being able to fight through that chaotic mess."

Neo raised her sign, "A global mess."

Mercury restlessly bounced his legs, sounding somber. "One moment you're fighting, next thing you know… You're dead."

The students huddled around their own team, trying to find comfort in their company while the adults were silently listening to what comes next. It was far from over.

**"We came from all over the world, so many of us think this war would be our rite of passage, our great adventure. Let me tell you, it was no adventure."**

"The harsh reality," Tai said softly.

"People, especially the younger ones, do tend to think of everything as a game." Port sighed. As bombastic and jolly he may be, he has seen and lived through the harsh world.

**The perspective changes as the camera zoomed out of the battlefield, sliding back to that of a heavy machine gunner on a Maxim MG.**

"From another soldier's perspective." Sun chewed his lips, unsure if he wants to see how this will go down.

Ironwood tapped his arms, "The frontline is shifting."

**"Flame trooper!" Someone shouted, "Let her sing! Pump 'em full of lead!" **

**The machine gunner immediately fired at anything that moves below the trenches, crouching a bit to get a clear view from the machinegun's iron sight. Enemy soldiers started to trickle their way through the trenches, only to be quickly mowed down.**

**More and more German soldiers spilled out from seemingly nowhere, running blindly or firing at the defenders. Bullets flew and struck against the sandbags that protected the machine gunner who continuously fired at the advancing army.**

"How… Do they even differentiate from one another? It's so chaotic."

"I don't think they do." Winter answered her sister, "At least, not anymore."

**An Airship L30 appears over the sky, ready to bombard the Allied positions. **

**"Airship incoming! More coming in on the right!" **

**The machine gunner stopped firing and swiveled his gun to the right side, finding it mostly deserted. He then glanced up at the large airship, seemingly stunned by its enormous appearance.**

**"Open fire! Keep shooting!" **

**The machinegunner snapped out of his daze and fired into the trenches, killing several German soldiers that had just emerged from the corners.**

"That thing has got to be an easy target." Coco pointed at the Zeppelin L30 airship. "It's like a giant balloon in the air, how is it not shot down?"

_"We assure you; it is much harder to bring down then it would seem."_ The Hosts answered her.

"Fascinating." Oobleck said as he quickly sketched the airship, "It seems that this is an early version of what an airship would look like."

**"Shiiiiit! Shiiiiit!" His ally screamed as the airship started its bombardment. **

**The Airship fires its Becker Type M2 autocannon at the machine gunner, knocking him off his feet and destroying the machine gun nest. **

**"They're getting through, rally at the church, we have to hold there!"**

**The machine gunner wordlessly picks up his other weapon, an M97 Trench Gun and proceeds to defend the church. German soldiers climbed through the windows, firing at anything that moves. **

**A handful of them failed to check behind them and was killed with a single shot from behind.**

"Children, please. Always watch your back." Glynda nearly begged on her sentence.

**"Comin' in through the window! Watch behind you!" A friendly fired over the machine gunner's head, killing an enemy soldier that was emerging from the window.**

**The machine gunner wordlessly thanked his brother-in-arms and took up position behind the pillars. German soldiers blindly rushed past the pillars, quickly getting gunned down by the soldier lying in wait.**

Winter shook her head, "So reckless…"

"Adrenaline must have numbed them to the danger." One of the hazards Ironwood had always watched out for is recklessness. It comes in various forms, arrogance, pride, fear… It's all the same regardless.

**In the midst of the fighting, a grenade flew over the window behind him. Quickly taking notice of the grenade, the soldier dived through several pillars and rolled back up as the grenade exploded. **

**Alive but no longer behind cover, the machine gunner strafed to the right, firing off his shotgun and killing three German soldiers.**

"These guys are just running to their deaths." Mercury emptily scoffed, "Not that I blame them. The place they're fighting over is a deathtrap."

It was a chaotic mess, the war that was happening on screen. Even Winter wasn't able to quickly make out which one is supposedly friend or foe. "It's a miracle there hasn't been any friendly fire we seen on screen so far."

"I'll say." Qrow emptied his flask, "Was our Great War ever this bad?"

Oobleck pushed up his glasses with a grim expression, "I can't say for certain."

**A German Flame trooper rushed out into the church along with two soldiers and quickly flushed their cover with spewing fire. The machine gunner gasped and cough as fire clung to the ground and floor, black toxic smoke choking the life out of the soldier. **

**"They're everywhere! Watch the windows!" He could hear friendlies from the distance, but they would not be here to save the day on time.**

**He staggered out from cover and killed two of the soldiers that escorted the Flame trooper. In retaliation, the Flame trooper set the machine gunner on fire, coating him with flammable oil. **

**A distorted choking scream could be heard as the man fell onto the ground, burning before the screen cuts black. **

**The name of the fallen soldier slowly appeared on screen in white:**

**James Johnson, 1892 – 1918**

Roman gulped, "What a way to go…"

"No kidding." Neo's sign said.

Back to Team RWBY's section, Ruby herself felt sick and nearly vomited. She forced it down, feeling the burning sensation in her throat which caused her to wince at the cruel irony.

"Would you like a drink of water, Ruby?" Penny asked.

"That would be nice… And a cookie." She said weakly.

**"New killing machines, like the tank, changed the shape of the war overnight. Luckily, they were mostly on our side, mostly."**

"Technological breakthrough tends to happen during a time of conflict." Oobleck sighed, "It's a shame we can't do so under less conflicting circumstances."

Take Atlas for example. They needed to be technologically advanced in order to survive the harsh weather of Atlas. Another example is the Great War, their Great War; where technology leaped in even greater bounds.

Raven rolled her eyes, "It's proof that we grow stronger through conflict."

"But at what cost?" Ozpin asked the raven-haired woman who simply looked away.

**The perspective changes to that of a British Mark V tank gunner, stationed several meters away from the church. Climbing inside the tank, the gunner peered out of the narrowed sight. **

**Soldiers carried the dead and wounded from the battlefield while others stand guard, remaining vigilant.**

"So, that's a tank." Oobleck hummed thoughtfully.

Port raised an eyebrow, "It certainly doesn't look its part, but one mustn't judge a book by its cover."

"It does have a simple design and their technology is deceptively powerful than we anticipated," Ironwood noted, believing it would be wise to write a few notes down in case they can incorporate similar ideas to the Atlesian Military.

**"Our boys in the church are overrun! We need to push through!" Their tank commander barked. The tank roar into life treading past the uneven ground to the frontlines following several other tanks. "PBI are counting on us!" **

**As they roared past, the gunner spotted an allied soldier, clutching his stomach, limping his way to the camp while his comrades fended off the Imperial German Army advance. **

**"Use that Emma Gee! Sweep the ground!" The tank driver ordered the gunner. **

**The tank gunner turned the mounted machine towards the church as they drove by, firing into the building and killing a Flame trooper that was setting the building on fire.**

"And so, the second guy was avenged." Vernal quietly quipped.

**"Keep going, driver!" **

**The driver obeyed and continued their advance. He then noticed the Royal Flying Corps fighter planes in the sky. "That's our flyboys up there!"**

**"Keep your eyes on the ground, son!" The commander scolded.**

Blake narrowed her eyes, trying to get a good look at the airplanes flying overhead. "They have sharper visions than I do. I can't make out which airship is theirs or the enemies."

"It could be the noise that these 'planes' produced, or they've been fighting long enough to know which one is theirs just by faintly seeing it." Winter gave her insights, "Of course, since their technology is different than ours, they might have another form of identification… I can't be so sure here."

**"They're moving in from the trenches! Use that machine gun! Mow them down!"**

**German infantry moved out of the trenches and into no man's land, where they are cut down by the British. A friendly tank fired its cannon, leveling an entire position, flushing the German infantry out. **

**Enemy soldiers left and right was mowed down, forcing the surviving infantries to retreat. Their friendly tank chased after them, firing its machineguns and cannon.**

**"We've got them on the run! Push on! Forward! For King and Country!" Several more shells were fired on the entrenched German positions. "We'll chase Fritz all the way back to Berlin!"**

"That must be a nickname for the enemy, while this Berlin must be an important city."

_"Correct. Berlin is the capital city of the German Empire."_ The Hosts explained.

"Hm-hmm." Oobleck wrote that down, "Is there any chance I get a chance to read their history books? To get a better understanding."

_"We can arrange that."_

"My thanks."

**The tanks crashed through the barricades and barbwires, cutting down anything that got into the gunner's sight. **

**As the gunner tore through anything that moves, he spotted a German soldier walking incredibly slow while looking down on the ground as if he was dispirited. His rifle was held loosely in his hand and he walked with a slump, numbed to the dangers around him.**

"Combat stress reaction…" Ironwood firmly closed his eyes for a brief moment.

**Without pausing, the gunner turned his gun on the shellshock soldier, putting him out of his misery along with several other retreating infantries.**

The students seemed to be completely stunned by that act of cruelty.

"Why…?" Nora sobbed as she hugged Ren tighter.

Ozpin sighed sadly, "It doesn't look like they were willing to take any chances."

"Every soldier that isn't theirs is a potential threat." Ironwood rubbed his robotic arm, "And in all this chaos, I don't think they can even afford the time and luxury to be merciful."

"It may even be a spur of the moment." Cinder put out, earning several nods from the adults.

**"Incoming!" A field gun takes out a nearby friendly tank, shaking the gunner's vision as the friendly tank exploded. **

**"Field gun took her apart!" The driver shouted fearfully. "We're just a big fat target for that thing!"**

**However, they cannot afford to go back. Their country is depending on them! "Move, driver! Go around! If you get a clear shot on that blasted field gun, you take it!" The tank diverged from the main path, flanking to the right of the field gun. "Hold on! We're pushing through!"**

**They smashed through the fallen buildings killing several German soldiers along the way. There it was, the field gun was spotted on the left side manned by three soldiers.**

"How scary is that? Having a giant armored machine burst out of the buildings and crushing you?" Jaune said with a haunted expression.

**"They're on the left!"**

**"Take out that cannon!"**

**The gunner obliterated the field gun and its crew with its tank gun, freeing up a passageway for other friendlies to get through. **

**"Good job! Let's open a path for our lads! Move up with the rest of the armor!" Another tank came into view, aiding the British in forcing the German back. "Stay focused men!"**

**Around them, the battlefield intensified with German artillery shelling their position, killing some of their own allies in the process. However, their deaths were worth it as an artillery shell takes out a nearby friendly tank.**

Roman puffed on his cigar, "Things are heating up."

"How much courage do you need to have to get through that? And without aura…" Yang suddenly had huge respect for those who risked their lives fighting for others despite not having their auras unlocked.

"You shouldn't underestimate those even without their auras unlocked," Tai said to his daughter, "Aura and semblances isn't everything."

**"Push on, dammit! We're almost through! Fire at anything that moves!"**

**"We're gonna make it!"**

**Ahead of them, they could barely make out the German fortified position. However, their objective would never be reached as an artillery shell streaked towards them. **

**"Shit! Incoming! Artillery!"**

**An artillery shell lands directly on top of the Mark V Tank, killing all occupants including the gunner.**

The audience couldn't make out the name of the fallen gunner in the fiery explosion, but no doubt they were missing some of the crew members that were on that tank.

Ironwood couldn't help but asked their Hosts, "Were they ever identified?"

_"Some shall be, some will not, others are lost and forgotten."_ Their response sent chills down everyone's spine. It was an instinctual reaction to mortality.

"How awful." Winter silently mourns.

"And they were so closed to their objective…" Jaune said quietly.

**"Instead of adventure we found fear, and in war the only true equalizer is death."**

**Perspective changes once again to a submachine gunner caught in a gas attack, not far from where their tanks passed through seconds ago. He puts on his mask, but he cannot aim down the sights of his weapon.**

"What is that?" Sun stared warily at the yellowish gas that consumed the entire battlefield.

_"Poison gas."_ The Hosts answered.

Cinder took an interest at the mention of the chemical weapon, it might help her and Salem in their goals. "What is made out of?" She lowered her voice quiet so that no one but her underlings could hear her. "What does it do?"

_"If you truly knew of its effect, even you would shun its usage."_

Their responses made Cinder rethink what she was asking; pondering it for a few seconds before taking the Hosts word for it.

Fox shuddered as he watched the German infantry charged out of the mustard gas. "I suddenly feel prickly all over."

"You're not the only one." Coco agreed.

**Explosions peppered the battlefield, deafening the submachine gunner. Yet, even he can still hear the high pitch whistle that signaled the counterattack from the Imperial German Army. **

**"Charge!" Someone roared, prompting everyone to surged forward. **

**Soldiers from both sides fired and lobbed grenades at each other before charging to meet them in melee. War cries, explosions, gunshots, death… These were all that could be heard in the raging chaos that spreads throughout no man's land.**

Emerald clenched her hand as she watched them wildly charged towards each other. "That must have taken a lot of steel nerves to do."

"You mean a lot of steel balls." Mercury playfully elbowed her.

**The submachine gunner advanced through the gas, mowing down any soldiers that got in his line of sight. Unfortunately, he strayed too far out into the open and was shot repeatedly by entrenched German soldiers, ending his life as the screen went dark.**

**Theodore Panola, 1889 – 1918**

Tai couldn't help but wondered if this is what humans and faunus will devolve into should there be no more Grimm. Will they simply turn on each other?

Further down the rows, Raven seemed to know what her ex-husband was thinking. "It's in our nature, Tai. It may not represent us completely, but it's there." She said to him.

"Uh, thanks, Raven. So, have you been taking philosophy class?" He tried to make a joke, but Raven simply scoffed and ignored him.

**The perspective again to another soldier standing several feet away from the now-deceased Theodore Panola. **

**"Move, move, move!" Another soldier shouted as they tried to hold the line against the onrush of German infantry. **

**The soldier laid prone on the ground and rested his rifle on the muddy floor, taking quick, but precise aim at his targets. **

**One bullet, one kill; his enemies fell one by one. **

**"Airship coming down!" Someone screamed. The Airship L30 received too much damage and crashes down onto the battlefield in a glorious, fiery explosion.**

"It's as if their world is coming to an end," Ozpin said darkly. The only time he had seen this level of destruction was from his previous incarnation when he was the King of Vale, wielding the Relic of Destruction to end their own version of the Great War. "What is the reason that led to this war in the first place?"

The adults and students agreed with the headmaster's statement.

_"There are many reasons why this conflict started. Greed, pride, hatred, revenge… There are simply too many things to acknowledge, too many things that build and build that will lead up to this event. All it takes is one spark to send the entire world to war."_

Cinder smiled to herself at the Hosts response to Ozpin. It sounded oh so similar to what she was planning for Beacon Academy.

**The destruction of the airship inspired the men to push into the German's defensive line. With a war cry, they charged forth overrunning the initial defense, slaughtering anyone that dared try to stop them. **

**It seemed that they were winning this battle, but it was quickly disproven. A German Flame trooper appeared from over the hills incinerating the entire area, the Germans were mounting another attack with the Flame trooper spearheading the charge.**

"It's a constant stalemate." Emerald whispered, "They pushed, the others pushed back."

_"That is why this war has claimed many lives."_

"And yet they have another war after this one?" Glynda still couldn't believe it. Does this amount of death and destruction even not faze them?

_"The second world war shall bring their world closer to its absolute destruction, but we shall not be viewing that for the time being."_

Weiss fiddled the sleeves of her dress, "All of a sudden our world sounds a lot nicer even with the Grimm threatening our very existence."

**The soldier tried to pull the pin on his grenade but hails of bullets rained down upon the soldier, putting an end to his story as the screen turns black.**

**Gene Parks, 1886 – 1918 **

**The perspective shifted to another soldier, restless fending off his position from the German's counteroffensive. The sound of war has slightly hindered his hearing, oblivious to his surroundings and the charging scream that came from his right. **

**The soldier was suddenly knocked to the ground and nearly killed by a German Stormtrooper wielding a shovel. But before the Stormtrooper could deliver the finishing blow, the ground shook violently as artillery started to carpet bomb the entire battlefield.**

**Both men paused and stared numbly at the barrage that was quickly heading straight forward them quickly.**

**"Artillery! Get down!"**

**The screen cuts to black as the explosion engulfed his position, rendering the soldier. unconscious.**

"Did they just… Bomb their own army?" Pyrrha shakily asked. She gasped as Jaune suddenly held her hand to comfort her. The champion forced herself to calm down while her thoughts strayed. She wished it was under better circumstances, but this will do for now.

_"That is not outside the realm of possibilities. Certainly not here."_

"How despicable!" The Atlesian general and specialist were aghast by the fact that any military would sacrifice their own men just to gain a slight advantage over their enemies.

"Is it over, yet?" Ruby asked tiredly, feeling very fatigued from the viewing. Even the weapons on the screen were not making her feel any better.

_"Soon."_

**The soldier slowly regains consciousness, his vision slowly returning. But what greeted him was devastation. Bodies littered the battlefield, as far as the eyes can see. Charred trees and ruined buildings still stood, a ghost of its former self.**

Roman shook his head, "I can't tell if he's one lucky bastard or an unlucky one."

"It's a blessing, and a curse." Neptune sagely remarked.

"Words spoken any truer." Said Port.

**He slowly turned to his left and saw a German soldier getting up. They staggered back and point their rifles at each other, looking haunted and reluctant. **

**"They push—we push."**

"Don't do it," Pyrrha whispered. Her teammates and friends also echoed a similar view.

Ruby placed her hood over her head, ready to pull it down should things get ugly.

**The two men stood and faced each other, their hands slightly trembling as they stared deep in their eyes. "Every once in a while, we push hard enough that the light breaks through the clouds..." An understanding was reached between them. "So, the world beyond the war glimmers... just out of reach." Slowly lowering their arms, they realized that it was pointless to continue fighting. The two surviving soldiers glanced around their surroundings, taking in the destruction that they were a part of. **

**The screen faded to black.**

"I see. So, this is what you meant by promising." Ozpin sighed, relieved that the two soldiers on the screen didn't shoot. "Regardless… The number of lives lost must be staggering."

"Damn right." Qrow said soberly, "And they still try to kill each other in the next war." His sentence slurred, "Makes you wonder… How do they do it? Or are they crae, crae like Rae, Rae?"

"Sober up, little brother." Raven hissed at her brother's antics.

**"The war is the world and the world is the war. But behind every gunsight is a human being."**

**The screen shifts through a series of battlefields, people, places… **

**"We are those people. **

**We are the jaded and we are the naive. **

**We are the honorable and we are the criminal. **

**We are the bound-for-legend and we are the lost-to-history. **

**We are the knights of the sky, the ghosts in the desert, and the rats in the mud.**

**These are our stories."**

The screen went blank, signaling that the presentation was over.

Ruby breathed out a sigh of relief, "It's finally over." Her teammates and family quickly piled on her, causing Ruby to 'pout' and return their hugs. "So glad I have you guys, but you're embarrassing me."

"Well. That was… Insightful." Emerald numbly said to which half of the audience nodded in agreement.

"And enlightening." Cinder muttered under her breath.

Glynda shook her head, "And awful." She had conjured some warm, soothing tea to calm her nerve from all the horror she had witnessed. Joining her was Ironwood and Winter, who also needed something calming that isn't alcohol.

"It may be an ugly part of their history, but we learn it to prevent it from happening again." Oobleck spoke up, "On our end, at least."

Ozpin closed his eyes and took a long sip from his mug. "Indeed. I think Remnant's Great War is enough in its lifetime."

A world without Grimm may sound like a blessing, but it became apparent that without a common enemy, humanity would only turn against each other.

_"We understand that this can be a difficult thing to witness. Therefore, we shall let you gather your thoughts before the next viewing. The next one should ease your mind for a bit."_

"Is it full of death and destruction?" Blake asked weakly.

_"No, but there will be fighting. However, understand that there are worlds far worse than what you have witnessed."_

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**NEXT:** **Kingsman - Bar Fight Scene**

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**Pardon my grammar, spelling, and sequences description.**

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**Another Note: I have posted some Concepts on my Profile page. If you're interested in what they are, come and check them out.**


	11. Kingsman: The Secret Service - Pub Fight

**I came down with the cold writing this, now all the reactions of most of the RWBY casts was lost in my dream fever.**

**I am sorry if this is not a decent reaction chapter. My illness has made my writing a bit off.**

**In any case, I do not own anything here.**

**Pardon my grammar.**

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**Kingsman: The Secret Service - Pub Fight Scene**

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_"Since we will be delving into this world without much context, we shall provide you this quote from one of the individuals whom you shall see on-screen. He goes by the name of Harry Hart and he has this to say…"_ The Hosts normally communicated with the audiences directly to their minds or through the large screen in text. There wasn't a single description that could be described in their so-called voice, but this time they could hear a posh voice of a man.

_**"Since 1849, Kingsman Tailors have clothed the world's most powerful individuals. In 1919, a great number of them had lost their heirs to World War I. That meant a lot of money going uninherited, and a lot of powerful men with the desire to preserve peace and protect life. Our founders realized that they could channel that wealth and influence for the greater good. And so, began our adventure. **_

_**An independent international intelligence agency operating at the highest level of discretion. Without the politics and bureaucracy that undermine the intelligence of government-run spy organizations. A suit is the modern gentleman's armor, and the Kingsman agents are the new knights."**_

The quote regarding fashion really caught Coco's attention, "Are we going to see some good fashion and ass-kicking?"

As for Roman, he silently raised an eyebrow, wondering what's in store for him as he too has a high taste in fashion. As long as it wasn't impractically or much of a hassle, Roman doesn't mind the extra price tag that comes with his criminal lifestyle.

"Swear!" Ruby pointed at her with shock.

"Language, Miss Adel." Glynda agreed with the crimson reaper.

_"In due time. Though we will not be seeing much fashion in this one. We may be seeing more of that in future viewings."_

"Fine by me." Coco said with a grin, "You don't see me shopping and fawning over clothing in the middle of a battle."

"So… We're watching a spy movie of sorts?" Jaune asked. He always liked the spy genre and he certainly liked the sound of Kingsman.

Tai nodded, "Looks like it."

"I like the title, Kingsman. A step above a huntsman." Nora waved her hands around 'magically' with a glimmer in her eye.

Ozpin's and Cinder's faction took a slight interest in this; seeing how they were also engaged in similar activities. More so on Ozpin's end since it is nice to see powerful groups using their wealth and influence for the greater good instead of the usual greed and self-interest.

"Their great war, World War 1; it's said to be over. Which era does this take place in?" Oobleck asked their Hosts.

_"This one takes place long after the World Wars. How long exactly, we will not delve into. Now… The screening begins."_

The screen and room darkened.

**The scene takes place at the Black Prince Pub. The sign and words were laced with fine gold paint giving it a high-end feel despite being in a rather unrefined area.**

"Fancy looking pub. Bet it's gilded." Qrow leaned in closer, wondering how otherworldly drinks would taste like.

**"So, before you was a tailor, was you in the army?" Said a voice soon shown to be Gary 'Eggsy' Unwin as the camera cuts to the people inside the pub. "Like an officer?"**

**A man presumed to be the pub owner was idly sweeping the floor. Behind him were two individuals having a drink in the booth's seat. To the left was a man dressed in a fine suit, while to the right was Eggsy himself, looking like a common street boy.**

"That's a nice suit." Coco and Roman said simultaneously.

Jaune looked blankly at the middle-aged man on screen. "Isn't it just a regular suit?"

"Kid. You clearly do not understand high-end fashion." Roman shook his head.

Coco couldn't help but agree, "Hear, hear."

"Whose side are you on?" Ruby grumbled.

**"Not quite." The middle-aged man replied. His name is Harry Hart, also known as Galahad.**

Everyone recognized the man's voice. It was the exact same one that the Hosts imitated earlier.

_"His name is Harry Hart."_ The Hosts confirmed.

**"So, where would you posted? Iraq or something?" Eggsy egged on with a grin. **

**"Sorry, Eggsy. Classified."**

Winter tilted her head slightly, "Those most be where their military is stationed or deployed at."

_"Correct."_

"Hey, that's like Velvet's accent," Ruby remarked on the rabbit faunus particular accent.

Velvet's rabbit ears twitched, "It certainly does."

"Sounds like one of the lower social dialects," Qrow grunted, having heard similar accents during his trips.

"Uncle Qrow!"

"He's not wrong," Roman muttered.

**Eggsy made a face, looking amused and mischievous. "But my dad saved your life, yeah?" **

**The gentleman looked at the young man flatly, "The day your father died, I missed something. If it weren't for his courage, my mistake would have cost the lives of every man present. So, I owe him." That got a smug nod from Eggsy. "Your father was a brave man, a good man." Eggsy seemed gleeful at the praises Harry was giving to his deceased father. "And having read your files, I think he'd be bitterly disappointed in the choices you've made." That seemed to kill their good mood.**

Ironwood rubbed his chin, "Sad, but true from what I saw with some military families." It was unfortunate, but that's just how some people cope with their losses.

"Indeed." Ozpin drank from his mug. It was no different with huntsmen families as well.

**"You can't talk to me like that." Eggsy sat back.**

**"Huge IQ, great performance at primary school." Harry paused, letting the young man know where this was going. "And it all went tits up. Drugs, petty crime, never had a job."**

Someone coughed from Cinder's group, "Roman. Cough, cough."

"Very funny," Roman replied drily.

**"Oh, you think is a lot of jobs going around here, do you?" He shot back. **

**"It doesn't explain why you gave up your hobbies. First-prize regional under-tens gymnastics two years in a row? Your coach had you pegged as Olympic team material."**

"How disheartening." Glynda sighed, hearing about the young man's fall from grace.

Qrow glared at his sister who returned it in kind, "Tell me about it."

"Easy there, Qrow. Everyone has their own choices to make." Tai looked slightly hurt when he said that. Sure, he didn't appreciate Raven abandoning them, but at the same time, he couldn't really do much about it. It was her own choice that she chose to leave. He was never given a chance to convinced her otherwise because she didn't want to be convinced.

"Like leaving your own daughter," Yang mumbled under her breathe.

**"Yeah, well, when you go around someone like my stepdad, you pick up new hobbies pretty quick."**

"That's not good," Jaune said.

"It most certainly is not." Winter eyed Qrow and his nieces.

Weiss seemed to catch on what her sister is implying, "My teammates are nothing like that." She assured Winter. She can't imagine Ruby doing that sort of thing. As for Yang… Maybe? Not really.

**"Uhh, of course. Always someone else's fault." The words seemed to hit a mark on Eggsy's demeanor, making him turn away from the gentleman. But Harry was not done yet, "Who's to blame for you quitting the marines? You were halfway through training, doing brilliantly, but you gave up."**

The mentioning of the marines caught Ironwood's attention. "The marines?"

_"Yes. The Royal Marines. They are a highly specialized and adaptable light infantry force that is deployed worldwide and are trained to handle a wide range of threats. In modern-day, they are the elite forces of the British Armed Forces."_

"Don't tell me you're starting up some new military program Jimmy." Qrow groaned, having enough of the Specialists program already. "You're already in trouble for creating the Specialist program."

Glynda and Ozpin shared Qrow's sentiment but didn't voice it. They can discuss this once should the topic comes up. At Remnant, of course. They won't be planning any important meetings in an interdimensional movie theater.

"I have no intention of doing so." Ironwood replied, "At least, for the time being."

**"Because my mum went mental! Banging on about losing me, as well as my dad!" Eggsy leaned closer to Harry, anger spilling out. "Didn't want me being cannon fodder for snobs like you. Judging people like me from your ivory towers, with no fault about why we do what we do. We ain't got much choice, you get me? And if we was born with the same silver spoon up our arses, we do just as well as you." Eggsy finished his rant and leaned back. "If not better."**

"The sentiment of the common people." Roman grinned along with Emerald. A small portion of the audience glanced at the Schnees, annoying them with their prejudice.

**The pub door creaked off-screen followed by the shopkeeper's bell ringing. Several thugs poured into the pub with their leader in a white jacket immediately chewing out Eggsy. **

**"What the fuck you doing here? You're taking a piss?" He pointed a finger at Eggsy. The thug's leader's name was Rottweiler, and he was clearly upset.**

"Swear!" Ruby cried out.

Yang sighed and cracked her knuckles. "You might want to get used to this, Rubes."

"Can we… Censor the swearing?" Tai asked politely. He didn't want his youngest daughter listening to the awful profanity that the cruel world has developed. She may be a huntress-in-training, but she's still his baby girl.

Everyone gave him a flat look. "Seriously?"

_"That is not necessary."_

**Harry looked at them with disinterest and turned towards Eggsy, "Some more examples of young men who simply need a silver suppository." **

**Eggsy looked at him with a 'not now' expression, trying to keep things to escalating with the group of thugs. "Nah, they're exceptions. C'mon." He did not want them getting into trouble with these ruffians.**

"He's oddly calm," Pyrrha remarked.

"If what Eggsy said is true, then this guy must have some combat experiences," Sun answered.

Nora giggled at the funny name. "Hehe, Eggsy."

**"Nonsense. We haven't finished our drinks." Harry replied coolly, not bothered by the thugs converging on them.**

"Amen to that." Qrow raised his drink.

Roman agreed, "I second that."

**A short and stout thug, called Poodle, jerked his thumb at his leader looking like he was about to tear Eggsy a new one. "After you nicked his car, Dean says your fair guy and I don't give a shit what your mom says." He growled.**

Blake raised an eyebrow, "I had no idea what that guy just said."

"Basically, the kid is in for it now." Mercury got the gist of the fat thug's language. That's what you pick up when your father is an assassin. "Looks like his mom is married to their leader or something. Must be his stepdad."

**"Um, listen, boys:" Everyone turned towards Harry, "I've had a rather emotional day. So, whatever your beef with Eggsy is, and I'm sure it's well-founded…" He glanced at Eggsy, who had his jaws slightly agape at the man's belittlement of him. "I'd appreciate it, enormously if you could just leave us in peace until I finish this lovely pint of Guinness." His eyes twinkled at the mention of his drink.**

"That's one way to say get lost," Weiss muttered, impressed by passive-aggressiveness the gentleman can dish out.

Qrow's eyes also twinkled, putting away his drink. "Eeeey. A guy who loves his drinks. Hand me a glass will ya?" The Hosts complied, giving him a glass full of Guinness. "Oh, man… This is good."

His sister silently followed suit. As for Roman, he held off on the drinking for the time being. He wanted to finish his cigar.

"Must you always?" Winter asked, hating nearly all alcoholic beverages with a passion.

"You need to loosen up. Have a drink."

"No."

**The thugs looked at each other, wondering if the guy was serious while Eggsy closed his eyes and awkwardly glanced back at the thugs hoping that they wouldn't shank the guy for getting in their way. **

**Rottweiler looked menacingly at Harry. "You should get out of way, granddaddy. You'll get hurt and all." He said in a low voice.**

**"He ain't joking, you should go." Eggsy said softly. Harry looked disappointed, even sad as he set down his drink and got up from his seat.**

"Okay," Qrow spoke up, "You do not separate a man from his drink."

"And you certainly do not make a man put down his drink." Roman added, "Also, is the kid blind? That man can clearly handle those backwater men with ease." From afar and to the untrained eyes, Harry was just an ordinary guy in a fancy suit. To all the adults in the room, he was far from that.

Ozpin simply smiled at Eggsy's concern for the older man, "This young man's heart is in the right place despite his flaws." Underneath Eggsy's tough and delinquent-like exterior, he was certainly caring.

**"Excuse me." He said politely, picking up his umbrella and made his way towards the exit.**

Neo and Roman stared at the man's umbrella and grinned. They knew where this was going.

"Well, Neo. Let's see what Mr. Fancy can do."

"I cannot wait." Her sign read.

**Just as he was about to leave, Poodle couldn't help but jeer at the gentleman. "If you're looking for another rentboy, there are on the corner of Smith Street."**

**Beat.**

"He did not just say that," Roman said unamusingly.

"They just sealed their fate." Vernal snorted.

Ruby frowned, "What's a rentboy?" Those who knew of the term fidget in their seats, not wanting to explain to the innocent girl what it meant. She glanced around looking frustrated, "Hey! I'm an adult now!"

Tai shifted his eyes around. "Uhm… Hey, look! The fight is about to start."

"Ready, Velvet?" Coco asked her friend, who already had her camera out.

"Ready."

**Harry slowed his walk to a standstill. The thugs didn't seem to notice this as they had their attention turned back to Eggsy. **

**Glancing at the pub door bolts, Harry latched the bolts shut. "Manners." The thugs turned around. "Maketh." He latched another door bolt shut and clicked the door lock. "Man."**

"Indeed." Ozpin raised his mug to praise the quote.

Glynda glared at her students, making them sink into their seats. "Certainly."

"Now, they are all trapped in there with him." Yang grinned, her feet was bouncing restlessly on the floor as she anticipated what comes next.

**The thugs slowly walked towards Harry, sizing him up. Eggsy closed his eyes, fearing for the worse as Harry looked nothing like a fighter in his eyes. Harry even had his back to the thugs as they closed in on him!**

**"Do you know what that means?" Harry asked the thugs, who simply looked at each other. A polished plaque allowed him to see what goes on behind him. "Then let me teach you a lesson." He slid the hooked handle of his umbrella at a glass cup and flung it at Rottweiler. **

**The glass struck him square in the head, shattering into pieces, knocking Rottweiler out cold. His lackeys moved out of the way as Rottweiler fell backward, falling flat on his back, unconscious for the duration.**

"That was awesome." Neptune chuckled before catching himself.

In the 'villain' section, Neo was clapping respectfully at Harry's initial attack. She raised her sign, "Let the bar fight commence."

"You said it Neo." Roman leaned back with his Guinness drink, "Uh… You signed it? Anyway, let's enjoy the show."

**Eggsy expression changed from anxiety to awe in an instance, watching Harry casually and confidentially strolled forward to confront the remaining ruffians. One by one, they turned away from their downed leader and glared at the man.**

**"Are we going to stand around here all day, or are we going to fight?" Harry asked them.**

"I have got to use that as my pre-asskicking one-liner." Coco grinned viciously.

"Swear," Ruby said flatly.

**One of the thugs immediately shoved his peers aside and threw a wide, clumsy hook punch at Harry. **

**Harry leaned back slightly; the hooked handle of his umbrella immediately redirected the thug's attack into Poodle. Time slowed down for a brief second as the thug's punch knocked loose one of Poodle's teeth, sending it flying back towards another goon behind him. The goon looked at it with disgust and managed to move out of its way.**

Yang also had the same disgust look, "Ew. Ew."

"Skillful display of close quarter combat." Winter noted, "Impressive counter as well, using his opponent's own attack against his enemies."

"Whoa. I missed that, what did he just do?" Jaune asked his teammates.

Ren answered, "He used his umbrella to change the direction of his opponent's swing." The quiet boy was impressed by the man's ability to fight. Even without aura, his movement was but a blur to most of the students.

"I need to learn how to do that." Neo's sign said. Her eyes narrowed down on a certain blond girl who loves to punch things.

Yang felt the stares coming from Neo and turned to face her. She knew exactly what she was thinking. The blond girl sneered and punched her own palm to intimidate her, but Neo merely stuck her tongue out. Neo already won their last encounter, if it weren't for Raven interfering, she would have killed her already.

**Time reversed and reverted back to normal, showing the motion in real-time. **

**Poodle fell back from the friendly fire/punch and slammed into the bar counter before falling to the ground. The thugs immediately attacked the posh man, their numbers meant very little as they had horrible teamwork.**

"Pathetic." Cinder scoffed at the gangsters' attempt to land a single strike on Harry.

"Certainly not a sound strategy to partake in." Said Emerald, "I doubt they even know how teamwork works outside of rushing the enemy at once."

Mercury grinned as he watched the thugs get put in their place. "That's where no training gets you."

**Harry planted a kick on a thug and deflected an attack from another before smacking the ruffian away with his umbrella. Another thug charged and grabbed him by the shoulder, his arm pulled back as he was ready to deliver a punch, but Harry slammed the handle of his umbrella into his gut driving the air out of him.**

**He then turned his attention to a dark-skinned goon and backhanded the guy. With one hand free, Harry swung his umbrella to his right and struck another thug in the head. **

**A vicious-looking ruffian pulled out a knife and lunged at Harry. Seeing the attack, Harry pulled the dark-skinned thug over as a meat shield. The knife-wielding thug stabbed his comrade on the shoulder and quickly pulled back, looking a bit shocked at what he just did to his friend.**

Neptune winced, "Oooh… So glad we don't hurt each other like that during training." Thank Remnant they have aura to avoid this kind of happening. He did not want to be removing bullets out of his skin from the infirmary.

"That's exactly why every huntresses and huntsmen go through years' worth of training before receiving their license." Ironwood explained, "This is what the huntsmen academies exist for."

"Reminds me of how Cardin unintentionally took out his own teammate with his mace," Weiss mumbled.

They remembered how Team CRDL got thrashed by Pyrrha during combat training causing Cardin to lose focus and recklessly attack the champion. The brute did not watch where he was swinging his mace and struck one of his teammates, Dove; in the head, knocking him out. If that happened out on a real mission, it would have been very bad.

**Without pausing, Harry kicked the dark-skinned goon's leg out from under him and parried another attack. He then swung his umbrella, striking the dark-skinned thug, sending the man flat on the floor. **

**From the seat booths, Eggsy looked on with great interest as the fight raged on.**

"The kids enjoying the bar fight. Luckily bastard."

"Qrow!" Yang and Tai shouted at their friend and uncle.

He shrugged and placed both hands behind his head, "What? It's true. How many bar fights don't result in everyone getting drag into it? Physically speaking."

"Not many?" Sun guessed haphazardly.

"You got that right, kid. Everyone is fair game in a bar fight."

"Like you would know." Winter sneered.

**The sheathing of a knife could be heard from behind and Harry ducked out of the attack, striking his attacker and driving his umbrella through the gangster's armpit, hooking him over. **

**Poodle charged over from the side, screaming as he tried to slice Harry across the face. Still holding onto another thug, Harry countered Poodle's attack with his umbrella, disarming and pushing him back. **

**The stout man fell onto the counter, breaking some glasses along the way, but quickly recovered. Poodle's eyes fell on a glass beer bottle and picked it up, swinging it overhead towards Harry. **

**Having enough, Harry fired an electric and magnetic wire from his umbrella. The wire wrapped around Poodle's wrist knocking him back towards the counter. Poodle fell back, his wrist magnetically attached to the bar counter railing and delivered a non-lethal amount of electricity, rendering Poodle unconscious.**

Ruby blinked, "Whoa! So cool! His umbrella is also a gun? What did he just fire?"

"I am uncertain about the composition of the projectile fired, but it appears that it contains magnetic and electrical properties," Penny answered her friend.

"Interesting." Ironwood rubbed his chin. He can see a particular usage of this sort of device in law enforcement. It's also useful for restraining dangerous individuals out on the battlefield. "Penny, Winter. Please write down what you can. I have a feeling that we will be seeing something interesting along the way."

"Yes, sir."

In the 'villain' section, Neo was wondering if it was time to upgrade her umbrella that is also her weapon. She wasn't the only one thinking about that. Roman and Mercury shared similar thoughts, only theirs was in regard to the projectile that Harry had fired from his umbrella. It would be a useful addition to their arsenal.

**Harry dropped the thug he was holding onto and slammed his umbrella into his chest, knocking him onto the table, breaking it. He then hooked another thug on the neck and threw him onto another one that had started to pick himself up. The two goons had their heads slammed together and fell onto the floor, knocked out.**

**The knife-wielding thug returned and lunged towards Harry only to have his knife-wielding arm gripped aside and his guts walloped. The hooked handle slung around the thug's neck, pulling him to face the bar counter. With a fierce kick to the thug's thigh, Harry sent his opponent into the counter's rail, denting it in the process.**

"Now that's a kick." Mercury grinned, "For a dude that doesn't have his aura unlocked."

"This world doesn't have aura, Mercury." Cinder reminded him.

"I knew that."

Emerald rolled her eyes, "Sure you do."

**By then, Rottweiler has regained consciousness and pulled his revolver from his pants. Harry saw this and immediately opened his umbrella, ducking behind it just as Rottweiler aimed his gun at him.**

Ruby frowned at that, "That's not fair."

"That's how real-life works, red." Roman savored his drink and ignored the glares that came his way.

"Hate to say it, but he's right." Qrow said, "No one will be fighting fair in a real fight."

Ruby pouted a bit, but let it go, figuring that they were right.

**Several shots rang out in the pub, striking the umbrella but never penetrating the ballistic umbrella. Despite looking like an ordinary umbrella, it was far from what anyone would have expected. ****It was surprisingly hi-tech. A greenish camera screen and a digital interface were displayed; allowing Harry to see what was going on in front of him without risking his head.**

Sun swallowed his snacks with a surprised face, "I didn't know his umbrella could do that."

"Looks are truly deceiving," Ozpin said with a smile.

"A weapon truly befitting that of a gentleman." Port chuckled.

Meanwhile, the Atlesians were writing down in detailed what they are observing. A thin fabric capable of withstanding high-velocity bullets at short range is nothing; take Neo's umbrella for an example. It's the interface that really got their attention. They may not have any particular application for it in the meantime, but it was worth going over.

**Rottweiler fired wildly with a rabid expression, "YOU FUCKING DIRTY, FUCKING DIRTY…" He ceased swearing. His gun was out of ammo and Harry was unharmed. Rottweiler shakily looked at his gun and knew that he was royally screwed. **

"You deserve what's coming next for ya," Coco said with a grin.

**Harry twisted the handle of his umbrella, setting his projectile to STUN and fired. The rubber bullet struck Rottweiler in the forehead, making him backflip in the air before landing flat on his back.**

"So, it has multiple settings. Quite useful considering his occupation as a spy." Oobleck mused.

_'And useful in law enforcement.'_ Ironwood was already drawing things up to give to the weapons development team back in Atlas.

"So cool!" Ruby exclaimed. For a world without aura and impossibly cool weapons, this one certainly exceeded her expectations. "Please tell me there will be more!" She was extremely interested in how people without aura fight in this world. Their weapons as well.

**With his last opponent dispatched, Harry closed his umbrella while maintaining his professional demeanor. However, all was not over yet. The pub owner quickly reached over to his phone and started to dial the police. **

**That won't do.**

**Harry set the handle of his umbrella on his arm and tinkered with his watch, setting it to AMNESIA and fired a dart at the pub owner. Within seconds the pub owner fell on his counter, never to remember this moment of his life.**

Glynda flattens her lips, "A bit over the top there. He was doing the reasonable thing by calling the authorities."

"His watch is also a gun?!" Ruby squeaked, "And it has multiple settings! Does he have any more weapons? What are they? I need to know!"

"Calm down!" Weiss snapped at her partner.

"Now that's an inspiration I can take from." Roman can already picture the finest wristwatch on his wrist, serving as his secondary and surprise weapon. That is if he can survive long enough from Cinder's employment.

**Eggsy's mouth was now wide open as he shifted his eyes back to the man whom he had insulted for being a snob not long ago. Harry looked slightly amused, setting his umbrella down near his seat and returned to finish his drink. The young man was now sitting up straight; out of fear and respect for Harry. Who wouldn't be after all of this?! **

**Letting out a sigh, Harry reached for his drink and slowly downed the remaining content. He then set the glass down and returned to business with the young man.**

"The man finally finishes his drink." Qrow wiped a tear from his eye, "What a lovely reunion." Everyone rolled their eyes at Qrow's dramatic interpretation of the scene.

Raven put her hand over her face, looking embarrassed. "I don't know this man. We are not related."

**"Sorry about that. Needed to let off a little steam. Heard yesterday that a friend of mine died." A melancholy look passed over Harry's face. "He knew your father too actually."**

"So that's what he meant by having an emotional day." Ironwood set his jaw. He can respect a man that can handle his emotions while teaching a few ruffians a lesson. To do so in a high-end tailored suit while maintaining a polite demeanor; this man is truly a Kingsman.

"My condolences to this fine gentleman." Port respectfully said.

"This guy is hardcore..." Neptune was awed, suddenly feeling inspired by Harry's attitude. If this man… This Kingsman can be honest about himself why maintaining a cool demeanor, then he can too.

**Harry got up from his seat. "Now, I do apologize Eggsy. I shouldn't have done this in front of you." Harry glanced at his watch and pointed it at him.**

"Aw, what?!" Yang shouted at the sudden twist. "Come on, he didn't do anything!"

"No witnesses, apparently." Mercury shrugged.

Sun and Neptune looked at each other and crossed their arms, unfazed. "He'll convince the guy otherwise."

**"No, please I won't say nothing." Eggsy raised both of his hands in the air. "I swear. If there's one thing I can do it's keep my mouth shut."**

**"You won't tell a soul?" **

**"Ask the feds, I've never grassed anyone up."**

Roman laughed, "I like this kid."

**"Is that a promise?"**

**"On my life!" The tension slowly tuned up as the two stared at each other. **

**After a few seconds, Harry lowered his arm. "Much appreciated, Eggsy." He retrieved his umbrella. "You're right about the snobs. But there too, there are exceptions." He placed a hand on Eggsy's shoulder. "Best of luck with everything."**

Ozpin chuckled at the man's polite attitude. The comedically serious always makes him laugh for some reason. It must be the tone of Harry's voice that made it funnier. "So, this man is a Kingsman. I must say, I am quite impressed with what this gentleman represents and his abilities."

"Are all Kingsman this fashionable and posh?" Coco asked the Hosts. She could start restructuring her fan club she has back at Beacon. "Not to mention being an awesome ass-kicker?"

_"Yes."_

"They certainly live up to their title." Cinder purred, though deep down she was glad such an organization doesn't exist seeing how they were on the 'good' side of things. The closest thing Remnant has is Ozpin's brotherhood, and they were few in numbers, supposedly.

**Harry walked through the pub, ignoring the unconscious bodies of the thugs whom he had just beaten a moment earlier. He unlocked the door and exited the pub, leaving Eggsy behind to think about the next choice in life.**

**The screen cuts black.**

_"We hope that this presentation took your mind off of our previous viewing."_

"It kinda did until you reminded us… Oh." Emerald awkwardly sat back in her seat. "Forget what I said."

_"Indeed. We shall continue to move on with another lighthearted screening before returning to something darker."_

Ozpin mused on their words for a moment. "So, you're balancing our viewing?" That would explain the ups and downs so far.

_"Correct. But know that this will not always be the case for future presentations. Please wait while we prepare the next presentation. We shall return very soon."_

/-/

"Okay. That was pretty cool." Blake admits to her friends about the viewing that they had just watched.

Yang grinned, "I know right? The guy kicked as- I mean, kicked their butts." Her teammates rolled their eyes but agreed it was an enjoyable screening.

"So… What do you think is next?"

"Hopefully something funny like… The…" Pyrrha's voice got caught in her throat, trying to say the comedically screening they saw just before the horrifying war.

"Biggus Dickus." Yang laid it out, causing everyone to laugh.

Weiss tried to wipe the grin off her face but failed, "U-ugh. So, vulgar."

"You're the one smiling, Ice Queen." Yang shot back. Before Weiss could make out a response, everyone felt the Hosts returning to the room.

_"We've returned, let us begin our next presentation."_ Everyone cranked their heads back to the screen, wondering what will be shown next. _"But before we begin, we will be adding a few more guests to the room."_

* * *

**NEXT:** **Baka to Test: Class F Vs Class E**

**This is probably the only anime that isn't old like Yu Yu Hakusho I can tolerate watching. I kinda like the 'combat' of that show. **

**Not into anime, but I can tolerate it. Might do some of those in the future. I do like some 'tactical' mangas like Gunka No Baltzar and World Trigger.**

* * *

**Pardon my grammar, spelling, and sequences description.**

**I was ill...**

* * *

**Another Note: I have posted some Concepts on my Profile page. If you're interested in what they are, come and check them out.**


	12. Baka and Test: Class F vs Class E

**My friend, the same co-author who wrote Music Semblance? Sure, let's go with that! helped wrote this chapter for me as an apology for running track with her when it was below freezing.**

**That's how I got this cold in the first place. Regardless, huge thanks to her.**

**Pardon our grammar. This is a very long chapter.**

* * *

**Baka and Test: Class F vs Class E**

* * *

Oscar Pine found himself in an odd predicament. One moment he was at his aunt's farm resting in his room, the next thing he knew he was in some sort of fancy movie theater. At least he thinks it's a theater. Oscar has never been in one before.

Then, there's Maria Calavera, formerly known as the Grimm Reaper. She's now a little old lady with prosthetic eyes with a quirky attitude.

"Where am I? How did I get kidnap? Who in their right minds kidnap a little old lady?" She would have said she was surprised by the sudden turn of events, but she rather enjoyed the comfortable seat she was sitting on. "Is that cashews? Don't mind if I do." Maria dug into the bags of cashews and ate to her heart content. "I can get used to this. So, who are you people?"

"You kidnap a little old lady?" Coco questioned their Hosts flatly, "And a little boy as well?" She motioned to Oscar who sat frozen and confused.

"I have a name you know. It's Maria, and who wears sunglasses in the dark?"

"I'm… Oscar." The boy meekly said.

"What gives?" Weiss was also wondering why the Hosts brought these two along. They didn't look like they belong here. They look like ordinary people.

"Yeah! What gives?" Ruby mimic.

_"They are the past and future." _The Hosts replied cryptically.

"Hello. I'm right here you know." Maria waved to gain everybody's attention, "I believe I asked you lots a question, but it'll take all day to get your names. I probably won't even remember them."

Mercury stared deadpan at the old lady, "Then why bother asking?"

"Because I have a mouth."

Emerald snorted, "I like her."

"So… Um… Why am I here?" Oscar fidgeted in his seat.

_"We shall explain. Our greetings to you, Maria and Oscar. We are your Hosts, and this is our domain…"_

/-/

It was somewhat of a brief and vague explanation, but Maria seemed to understand the gist of it. As for Oscar, he was even more confused to why he was roped in all of this. His mental capacity was about to be overloaded from the revelation of alternative worlds, timeline, gods, and so on. At least, he thinks these Hosts are gods of sorts.

In the meantime, most of the audiences took this time to readjust their seating arrangements. Qrow and Tai sat together near Ozpin's group along with Maria who got along with them just fine. Oscar was seated comfortably near Team RWBY and JNPR, figuring that it was best for him to hang out with people roughly around his age.

"I'm still confused." Said Oscar; he was pretty certain that this was a fever dream.

"Oh, you'll get used to it." Yang assured him, "Just roll with it. The Hosts are pretty chill, I think. They give you almost anything you want to eat and drink. Some other stuff as well."

"But I'm just a farm boy…"

_"The next presentation begins."_ The Hosts interrupted everybody's conversation, _"We will advise you. This next world may be a bit odd."_

**The screen darkens and cuts to a colorful school ground.**

**A silver plaque carved in an unfamiliar language that read 'Fumizuki Academy,' was embedded into a brick wall. The brick wall had metal fences and gates leading to a large school building. The sun was shining very brightly, illuminating a wide variety of colors from nature itself.**

**Welcome to Fumizuki Academy, a school where the staff rigidly divides the students based on the results of their academic scores.**

"Everything is so… Bright and colorful." Emerald did not like the happy-happy outlook of this world. Joy hurts her since she never really experienced it. The outlook of her life is cold and filled with negativity.

"I must say." Oobleck squinted at the silver plaque, "Is that sign in another language?"

_"Correct. It is in a language called Japanese."_

"Fascinating!"

**The school bell rang, and we cut to Mizuki Himeji with pink hair and a cute rabbit hair clip.**

**Himeji was happily sweeping the dusty floor, unintentionally kicking up dust into the air, making her cough violently. Not far from Himeji was Yoshii, who had a concerned look on his face regarding the health of his friend.**

Blake's careful eyes scanned the classroom. "Is that her classroom? It looks so… Rundown."

"What on Remnant is up with that room?" Glynda practically yelped at the sight of the run-down classroom. It was full of cracks and peeling paint, looking for like an abandoned area than the majestic looking school building they had witnessed earlier.

_"It is indeed their classroom. Fumizuki Academy, in this world, divides its students based on their grades. At the start of the school, students are academically sorted by entrance exam test grades. The higher the grades, the higher the class they are placed in, and the better the benefits. Unfortunately, this girl named Mizuki Himeji fell ill during her placement test and was unable to complete it. That Is why she is in Class F, the lowest level of the school."_

Ozpin raised an eyebrow, "There's such a school system in place?" Just by hearing the rules and policies that this school goes by, it was; from his perspective, counterintuitive in many senses. "I suppose this is what our Hosts meant by a slightly odd world."

**It cuts to Yoshii leaving and sliding the classroom door shut behind him. Leaning on the wall was Yuuji, who just so happened to be waiting for Yoshii to leave the room. **

**"So, what do you want?" He asked his friend. **

**The scene instantly darkens with a single shining spotlight and Yoshii started his dramatic and heartfelt speech. "This is what I think. Schools are a microcosm of society, right? There shouldn't be discriminatory inequality among classes like this. But no matter what we, the lowest-ranked students say, it's considered only the grumblings of a loser."**

"He's… Not wrong." Blake could relate to on-screen Yoshii's speech.

Tai chuckled at the overly exaggerated speech and gesture, "He certainly knows how to express his mind."

**Yoshii continued with his dramatic speech, "So, we should challenge other classes to fight fair and square and obtain the power and right to speak first. Then we should cast this issue…" **

**Yuuji cut him off; the spotlight now on him. "In other words, you wanna improve our classroom equipment for Himeji, huh?" **

**That killed the dramatic effect.**

**"I'm beating around the bush because it's embarrassing!" Yoshii stomped his foot, "Why do you have to rephrase it bluntly?!"**

Jaune chuckled at the mood killer along with Pyrrha and Nora.

"That's sweet," Weiss admits, she would probably do the same thing for her teammates now that they knew each other well. "I would do the same thing as well."

"Aww, Weiss!"

Oscar raised his hand, "Um, I heard something about a fight…"

"It must have been metaphorical." Glynda gave her reasonable thoughts on the matter, "Since the school's classroom is divided based on their exams, they should be studying harder in order to improve their standing."

"What? That's boring." Mercury grumbled.

_"While your assessment is correct if applied to what many would consider being common sense, this world and school do not necessary follow that sort of system."_

Glynda's expression was neutral, "Don't tell me…"

**"Okay. To tell you the truth, I was thinking about starting a war, too." Yuuji said with a smirk. **

**"What? You too?"**

"Wait… War?" Ironwood repeated incredulously.

"It's an insurrection!" Neo's sign read.

**"Yeah. I wanted to prove that academic ability isn't all that matters in life. And… We do stand a chance of winning." Yuuji said sinisterly, making Yoshii's hand twitch. "Do you wanna try, Yoshii?"**

Glynda glared at her students, "While I will say that academic abilities aren't everything, that does not mean the opposite is true."

**"Yeah. Let's do it! Let's call for a Summoner Test War!" He pumped his fist out.**

"What is this… Summoner Test War?" Winter asked the Hosts. It sounded a bit interesting.

_"It will be explained soon."_

/-/

**The next scene shows Yuuji slamming his hand onto a patchy wooden teacher desk that looked like it's barely holding up. **

**"Everyone, listen! As Class F Rep, I'd like to make a proposal." He caught the entirety of Class F's attention. "I'm thinking of having us, Class F, start a Summoner Test War."**

**The entire classroom murmured at the announcement, surprised that they were already declaring war on another class this early in the semester. **

**"What?!" An effeminate looking boy named Hideyoshi lowered his cards, still retaining his poker face.**

Fox rubbed his eyes, "Wait, that's a boy?"

"A pretty boy, it seems." Maria laughed and kicked her legs. "He put most of you girls to shame there, ha!"

"Wow, I almost mistook him for a girl there." Coco 'innocently' said, licking her lips; imagining all the dress-ups she can do with the effeminate boy.

"Umm… Coco?" Velvet glanced warily at her team leader. All the students nearby slowly shifted in their seats, trying to edge away from the fashionista.

**"A Summoner Test War…? Don't tell me…" Shimada was stunned by the sudden declaration of war. **

**The screen cuts to a presentation. **

**A red and white glyph with a giant letter F in the center came into view. Four circular glyphs rotated around the larger glyph, representing the school subjects; math, history, literature, etc.**

**"At Fumizuki Academy, there's a system called Summoner Test War, also known as ST War." Another glyph, one colored in yellow with a giant letter E at the center appeared. "With a teacher present, a student can summon their Avatar, whose offense power is based on the student's performance in that subject." **

**Sōichi Nishimura, also known as Ironman, digitalized in the background, looking stern and imposing followed by Yuuji and Hiromi Nakabayashi materializing on the F and E glyphs respectfully.**

**Nakabayashi and Yuuji summoned their Avatars, a chibified version of himself and started attacking.**

Glynda, Winter, and Weiss shared an interesting look at the ornated, but shoddy glyph presented. It was simply common curiosity and since they utilized glyphs in their semblances.

"Ah, so that's what they meant by war." Winter chuckled, "It's almost a miniature tournament fought through their summoning glyphs."

"Aww! So cute!" Ruby squealed over the chibi versions of Yuuji and Nakabayashi.

"That's one scary looking teacher," Nora said, looking scared of the tall, imposing teacher nicknamed Ironman.

Qrow drank heavily from his glass, "And a stern one, if his fierce face has anything to say about it. Now I feel sorry for the kids. He's almost like Jimmy here."

**"Students fight using their Avatars." A large red glyph formed behind Yuuji's Avatar. A large arm shot out and punched Nakabayashi's Avatar. Her Avatar collapsed on the ground and dematerialized, ending the duel. "By defeating a higher ranked class, they can exchange their classroom equipment with the higher-ranked class's equipment." **

**A screenshot of their classroom popped up, comparing E and F class side by side. It then swapped the E and F glyphs demonstrating that F Class now has E Classroom and vice versa.**

"I see." Raven quietly said. The students will be fighting for the best benefits that school has to offer. "This way, the other classes will have a good reason to strive for success or get 'stronger.'"

Tai nodded, "It fosters competition, though I am hesitant to say that it's not a healthy one seeing Class F's classroom."

"And the higher the class is, the stronger your opponents are." Qrow turned to his sister, "Wished we had this sort of system back then, Rae?"

"Maybe." She sniffed.

**With the explanation of how the school system works, the scene cuts back to Yuuji, inspiring everyone rallying everyone with his speech. **

**"Everyone, aren't you unhappy with this shabby classroom?!" **

**"Heck yeah, we are!" The entirety of Class F roared in return.**

**"But if we can just win in a ST War, we can even get our hands on that gorgeous Class A equipment!" Oohs and aahs echoed from the crowd by the mentioning of Class A. Yuuji have them hooked into his speech, "We're the lowest-ranked students! We're at the very bottom of the academy! We're a group of scum noticed by no one and below everyone!"**

"Geez, really riling them up while making fun of yourselves," Sun said.

"Ugh, reminds me of some of the White Fang rallies."

"Blake, what did I say about you talking about the White Fang?"

**"In other words, that means we have nothing to lose!" Everyone gasped at that, realizing that Yuuji is right. They don't have anything to lose. They can only gain!**

Roman laughed at the sudden blunt statement, "Beware the man that was nothing to lose. In this case, an entire class of them."

"He's not wrong. If they are at the lowest, then the only thing they can get out of this is something at least." Oscar wisely said.

**"So, why don't we try?! There's no harm!" Yuuji shook his fist with pure emotion, "In addition, we have this guy!" He pointed at Yoshii who was standing straight with his hands behind his back. At the mention of his name, Yoshii turned around looking confused. **

**"Huh?" He pointed at himself and glanced around the room to see if Yuuji was pointing at someone else.**

"Way to sell your abilities," Yang smirked.

Tai grinned, "Nice of him to… Point that out."

The majority of the audiences groaned at the pun. They should not be allowed to make puns from the screenings! It should be illegal! Unfortunately, the Hosts never intended on holding up that sort of restriction on them. It's bad etiquette.

**The entirety of the student body also shared the same puzzlement. Yuuji slammed both of his hands down and started to explain what was unique about Yoshii. **

**"Believe it or not, this guy, Akihisa Yoshii, is a probationary student!" The words 'Probationary Student' slammed onto the darkened screen before fading out.**

Half of the audience burst out laughing at the Yoshii's status, while the other half were either smiling or wore blank expressions.

"I suddenly lost all hopes in Class F," Weiss said flatly.

**The entire classroom was shocked by this. "He's a probationary student?!"**

**"I didn't know we had a guy like that in this class."**

**"Incredible… This is my first time seeing one."**

**"Purify the room with salt!"**

**"I'm in despair."**

Glynda frowned, "Is such a status revered?" If this world was a bit odd, then being a probationary student celebrity shouldn't be too far fetch, right? "I highly doubt probationary is a positive term in this context."

_"It is not entirely revered. Probationary Students have Avatars with unique abilities. You shall see it soon."_

**Yoshii awkwardly rubbed the back of his head, "Well, I'm not all that special…"**

**Himeji raised her hand into the air. **

**"What is it, Himeji?" Yuuji asked her. **

**"Is a probationary student really that incredible?" She didn't know much about the subject, but it seemed that her peers do.**

"Is she seriously asking that?" Raven questioned the intelligence of this girl.

Jaune scratched his head, "Well, what if he's that bad that he received the title of a probationary student?" He paused, realizing how stupid that sounded. "Uh, forget what I just said."

**"Yeah." Yuuji crossed his arms, "It's not like anyone can become one." To his side, Yoshii looked flattered by that. "It's a special treatment for a trouble student whose school performance is bad and who lacks a desire to learn."**

"Oh, never mind. I was right."

"Nice deduction." Pyrrha giggled and patted his hand.

Ironwood gave the characters on-screen a flat look, "That's not something to be proud of."

"It is if you're a rebellious person." Maria put out, knowing that there will be those who will try their best to be the most rebellious person in existence. She was technically one of them, ever since she brought cashews onto that Atlesian airship and got put onto the list for lifetime extra screening.

**Yoshii was slowly losing the flattery that he was feeling. **

**"It's also said to be a synonym for 'idiot.'" Hideyoshi coolly explained.**

**"It's someone who's completely useless," Shimada added in.**

**Himeji seemed to be sparkling, "Whoa, that's really incredible!"**

"At least she sees the good in people." Pyrrha grinned at the embarrassing flattery and shame Yoshii was going through. "Even if it isn't entirely a positive thing."

**"Ah! I wanna crawl under the rug if we had one!" Yoshii ruffled up his hair in embarrassment, figuring he should look for a ditch to jump in.**

"I know the feeling." Ruby sympathizes with Yoshii of wanting to crawl under a rug. Her father and sister tend to be overbearing back then. Still to this day as well.

**"If we win in a ST War, we can say goodbye to this shabby classroom!" Yuuji continued, "What do you say, everyone?! Do you wanna try?!" **

**Class F cheered with enthusiasm. "Yeah!" **

**"Then, to start with, we'll defeat the next rank up, Class E!" He turned towards Yoshii, "Yoshii! As an ambassador for Class F, go declare war against Class E."**

**"What? Me?" Yoshii pointed at himself. He grew suspicious of Yuuji's intention, "Normally, a lower-ranked class messenger who declares war is given hell, right?"**

Cinder tittered, knowing what was going to occur next. It was obvious that this Yoshii fellow was being thrown to the wolves.

"Kid. Have you ever heard the metaphoric phrase 'Shoot the Messenger?'" Roman snickered at the misfortune that will soon befall on Yoshii.

**"That's something that happens in movies and novels." In order to save his own ass, and the rest of the cannon fodder or important fighters, Yuuji needs Yoshii to be their ambassador. The guy is the iron butt-monkey of this class. "There's no way they'd do rude things to an important ambassador, is there?" **

**Yoshii cupped his chin with a thoughtful look, "But… Huh?"**

**Yuuji gently gripped both of Yoshii's shoulder and stared at them intently, "Yoshii. This is an important mission that only you can do. Please trust me and go."**

"Homoerotic subtext," Blake whispered under her breathe, shifting her eyes back and forth from Yoshii and Yuuji. "I could use that…"

Yang blinked, thinking she heard something and turned to her partner. "Did you say something?"

"Oh, nothing important."

"… Okay." Yoshii put on his determined look and set off to declare war on Class E.

/-/

**The next scene cuts to Yoshii looking extremely battered, bruised, and humiliated by Class E's response. **

**"You lied!" He shouted at Yuuji.**

"Poor kid." Vernal shook her head, feeling somewhat sorry for the idiot. No wonder he was placed in Class F along with the rest of the weirdos and weaklings. He's too naïve and stupid.

Neo silently laughed at him, while the students bristled at other Yoshii's injuries, though it looked like he'll be fine. That's just plain mean, attacking someone for relaying an important message. Even if they did, Class E didn't have to go that far.

**The afternoon has become dusk, their classroom with orange light illuminated from the descending sun. The ST War will be starting tomorrow, and there will be lots of planning if they want to win this war. Yuuji looked on with a wise expression and his voice was filled with fake regrets.**

**"I figured as much." **

**"So, you expected this?!"**

**"One is unfit to be class rep if he can't expect that much.". **

**"At least try to sound sorry!"**

"Yeah!" Ruby nodded in regard to other Yoshii's protests. He could at least say sorry or something.

Cinder smirked, amused by the on-screen characters' dynamic relationship. "He isn't wrong, you know." She gestured at Yuuji, "Class representatives appear to be the leader here, and leaders always have to make sacrifices for the greater good."

**Yuuji brushed away his retort, "Now, we can't go back, Yoshii. Are you ready?"**

**"What?"**

**"This is what you want, right?"**

**Yoshii's pouting face slowly turned to a confident grin, "Yeah! Bring it on any time!" **

**Time to win this ST War! Even though Class E is slightly more powerful than them, they are not that powerful. Plus, they have several trump cards to utilize in this upcoming battle. This war is in the bag!**

/-/

**The scene cuts to an elderly, woman gazing out of the window from her office. She appeared to be intimidating, yet wise and mischievous. She is Kaoru Toudou, the principle of Fumizuki Academy.**

"That must be the headmaster or a similar position," Ren remarked. For some reason, she gives off a vibe that Ozpin gives up, only this one seems much more of cheery.

**Kaoru turned from the window; her silver eyes flickered in the shadow. "Oh? This year's Year 2 students are trying to call for a ST War on the first day of the first term. How interesting. Approve it."**

**"Understood." Her assistant and deputy, Youko Takahashi nodded respectfully. **

**"Now, how will it turn out? We'll see…" She pulled out her large rubber stamp and approved the document laid out in front of her detailing Class F declaration of war on Class E.**

Ironwood chuckled and tilted his head over towards Glynda and Ozpin. "They remind me of you two, somehow."

"I don't think Glynda is capable of smiling that easily," Qrow muttered, earning a fierce glare from the woman herself.

/-/

**We cut to the next day where Yuuji was drawing the chalkboard with pinkish chalk. He was laying out the mapwork of the classroom and hallway. On the board, several sentences and diagrams were written/drawn in white explaining several key factors and goals. **

**Mr. Hasegawa's name was on the board circled and arrowed over towards the center between Class F classroom and Class E.**

**"We'll use Mr. Hasegawa as the attending teacher for the war," Yuuji said as he drew arrows from Hasegawa's circled name towards the middle of the hallway. "We'll secure him on his way to Class E for fifth period."**

"Secure?" Yang frowned before remembering what the rules of the ST Wars. "Oh, yeah. They needed a teacher to referee the battle."

"Obviously. It's already troublesome just to referee a duel back at Remnant. Imagine how chaotic it would be if it's the entire class." The amount of damage the hunters-in-training could do during combat training is nothing to sneeze at. Add in an entire class… Weiss shivered at the expression Glynda would be making.

Glynda was currently rubbing her head, remembering the food fight that Team RWBY and JNPR partake in. The mess she had to clean up was 'minuscule'. "I do not want to imagine."

**Yoshii tilted his head, trying to remember the subject that Mr. Hasegawa teaches. "Mr. Hasegawa… Then the subject will be math?"**

**"I'm good at math." Shimada confidently boasts. She might not get a score compared to Class A, but she can get a decent grade even without trying. **

**"We'll use math, the subject Shimada's good at, as our main strength," Yuuji explained their main tactic. Out of all the students in the class, Shimada and Himeji was the only one that can turn the tide of the battle. The rest, not so much. **

"Playing to their strength." Winter nodded and wondered how different the application of strategy will work since it seems that this 'war' is more like a video game of some kind. "I assume that since they will be facing against a superior opponent, there will be multiple layers in their strategies should one fail?"

"I was thinking of non-linear fighting." Tai scratched his cheek, "Like guerilla warfare, but I'm not sure how this 'war' of theirs will work."

**"How are you with math, Himeji?" Shimada asked.**

**"It's not like I'm bad at it, but…"**

**"Then, you can fight with me, right?" She was a bit sick of tired fighting with the boys. Himeji was probably the only girl in class that she managed to befriend. **

**"No, she can't," Yuuji stated bluntly. **

**"Why?" Yoshii questioned, forgetting that Himeji did not finish the test. **

**"The scores on the last test we took become our Avatar's offense power. The test we took last is…"**

**"The placement test…" Yoshii cupped his chin, remembering the rules of the system. That will put a damper on their plan.**

"Which she didn't finish." Tai rested his head on his hand.

"So, all she has to do is re-take the test?" Ruby asked.

**Himeji made an apologetic look, "Since I left the room in the middle of the test, my scores are all zero." **

**Which means Himeji has no firepower. However, all is not lost yet. While Himeji can't gain any scores at this time, she can once the Summoner Test War start.**

**"But once the ST War starts, she can take a recovery test." Yuuji circled the letters 'Recovery Test' and placed the chalk down. "If she takes the test, she can participate midway into the way."**

Velvet wiggled her bunny ears, "That's interesting."

**"Okay," Himeji said meekly. **

**"Do your best." Yuuji grinned. **

**Himeji brightened up a bit, "Okay!"**

"Ah, so that's their trump card. From the sound of it, she is the brightest student out of everyone in that class." Cinder smiled, knowing how quickly a battle can be turned around once a trump card has been revealed. "Their victory is in her hand."

"It is a risky strategy, relying on just two people to secure their victory against an entire class." Ironwood mused, wondering if he should implement similar training to Atlas Academy. Obviously, it won't have the same sort of system in place like the one shown here, but they might work something out. "Especially since they will be facing against superior opponents. This will be interesting to watch."

"Quite so." Port nodded, "Why, we should try something similar back at Beacon! Think about it, turning around the hallway, coming face to face with that dastardly student who took the last chocolate pie from the cafeteria…!"

"We'll see about it when we get back." Glynda leered at the portly professor, "I suggest we refrain from tearing up the school's hallway, least someone will have to clean up the mess. The offender included." She stressed the last sentence out.

**Face hidden in the shadows, Shouko Kirishima listened in on their war strategy and clicked her tongue as she turned and walked away.**

"Eavesdropping on their strategy? Yeah, that sounds like Weiss all right." All of her teammates remembered an excited Weiss urging them to spy on their competitor for the Vytal Festival.

"Hey! There's nothing wrong with gathering information about your opponents." Weiss huffed, crossing her arms.

"She's not wrong." Velvet supported the heiress's side of the argument along with most of the audience. It is a reasonable strategy; intel gathering is one of the basics.

"Thank you."

**The school bell rang, signaling the start of the school's fifth period. The war between Class F and Class E has begun. **

**Mr. Hasegawa cheerfully whistled to himself as he walked down the corridor, about to stroll pass a classroom door when it suddenly opened revealing two masked students. They jumped in front of Mr. Hasegawa, crouched low in a grappling stance, wielding ropes to bind him with. The teacher let out a surprised yelp before the scene cuts to Class F's classroom. **

Glynda's mouth dropped open, "Did they just kidnap a teacher?"

"Surely, that's against the rule." Winter had an extremely bewildered look. What were these students thinking, kidnapping a teacher? Even the cadets from combat and huntsmen academies aren't this bold.

**"We've secured Mr. Hasegawa!" The two masked students shouted. **

**Yuuji's face turned serious. It was time to initiate the first phase of their plan. "Start the war! Everyone, we march into battle!"**

**The students of Class F raised their fist in the air and let out a war cry.**

Yang punched the air, "Finally, some action!"

"Hmm, let's see how this summoning thing works." Weiss leaned closer. She might not actually learn anything, but it would be interesting to see how things work out. Who knows, she might find something enlightening.

**All the way in Class E, Nakabayashi tilted her head slightly and sighed. "Geez… For idiots, they're pretty cocky." She slammed her hands onto the desk, "Everyone, time to attack! Teach Class F a lesson!" **

**Students of classes E and F poured out of their respective classrooms, charging towards the center of the hallway where Mr. Hasegawa was bounded by two Class F students. As the combatants charged in from both sides, they removed the restraint from Mr. Hasegawa and slunk back with their classmates. **

**Shimada blocked Class E's path from getting to their classroom. "Minami Shimada! I'm fighting!" **

**"Hideyoshi Kinoshita! I'm participating in the war!" **

**"Kouta Tsuchiya! Ditto!"**

**"I approve." Mr. Hasegawa raised his hand. A 3D digital field grid rose from the ground and engulfed a good section of the corridors.**

Penny's eyes flickered, "Amazing! It appears that they had developed technology that mends virtual reality to reality!"

"Is that so?" Ironwood took out a notepad.

"I got it, sir." His right-hand specialist was already writing things down.

"Thank you, Winter." He said in an informal tone. "Since we're no longer in Remnant following standard procedures, you do not have to be formal with me."

"Of course, sir."

**"I'm summoning my Avatar. Summon!" Shimada summoned a chibified version of herself wielding a curved saber. Three small windows popped up, listing out the name, subject, and score.**

"So, that's how their summoning works. I supposed that this… Virtual field of theirs is what allows these Avatars to exist." Penny asked the Hosts.

_"Correct."_

"Which means that the area they fight in is limited to that section." Oobleck shifted his glasses a bit, "A combat arena that can be called and retracted at any time by a teacher, how convenient."

"How envious," Glynda mumbled.

**Next was Kouta's turn. **

**"Summon." He said quietly and summoned his Avatar whose main weapon is his giant camera. Out of all the three spearheading Class E, his score was the lowest amongst them not counting the cannon fodders students behind them.**

"Hey, his Avatar uses a camera as a weapon. Wonder what it can do." Velvet said curiously.

**"Summon!" Hideyoshi shouted. His body was suddenly engulfed in bright light as he gracefully transformed, somewhat, and summoned his Avatar. A naginata was the main weapon of his Avatar. "Why am I the only one who transformed?" He asked, annoyed and already back in his school uniform, ignoring Kouta and his Avatar who were snapping pictures at that entire scene.**

"Too pretty to pass up." Coco laughed.

"That transformation sequence reminds me of something similar back in Mistral." Pyrrha mused on it before returning her attention to the screen.

Roman snorted, "Masculinity is nonexistent with that kid."

**"They're coming!" Shimada shouted as the students of Class E charged straight at them without their Avatars.**

**A female student stepped on the glyph, sending sparks of red electricity everywhere, forcing her back. **

**"Please be careful. Real humans can't pass through that area." Mr. Hasegawa explained. The glyphs on the floor were blocking their path and must be dispelled by eliminating the opponent's Avatar in order to get through.**

"So, people cannot pass through the glyphs as long as it is active. So... The only way to get through is if the user of the glyph is defeated." Said Weiss.

**"If you want to pass through here, you have to defeat us first," Shimada said with a confident smirk.**

**The female student clicked her tongue, "Yoshiko Mikami, I accept this challenge! Summon!" Her Avatar wielded a tome as its weapon. "You jerk." She sneered at Kouta and fired a volley of purple energy at him. "Here's the finishing blow!" **

**Mikami's Avatar retrieved her book and leaped into the air, about to deliver the finishing blow, but Kouta retreated; switching with Shimada. **

**"That's my line!" Shimada's Avatar swiped the book away and thrust her saber multiple times at her opponent's Avatar, eliminating it from battle. **

**"Oh no!"**

Tai shook his head, "She shouldn't have fought alone. Take note you guys, don't rush in headfirst like that."

"That looks like fun." Ruby bounced up and down from her seat, "Do you think Atlas can make this sort of technology? Maybe a game for it?"

"Possibly, there are numerous things to consider when designing this sort of complex system as seen on there," Penny answered.

"That's so futuristic," Oscar said in slight awe.

"You have yet to see what Atlas is capable of," Weiss said proudly.

**"When it comes to math, I won't lose against Class E" **

**A heavy foot came crashing down onto the floor, sending heaps of water vapor into the sky. "Those who died, meet me in the remedial classroom!" He announced loudly. **

**The students took a step back, "That's…"**

**"Ironman!"**

Qrow laughed, "Ironman! Hahaha! I think I just found your long lost relative!"

"I'll take that as a compliment," Ironwood said smoothly.

**"In accordance with the Summoner Test Rules, those who died with their score reduced to zero will be given remedial class!" Ironman picked up Mikami and slung her over his shoulder, taking her to the remedial classroom. **

**"Help! I don't wanna take a remedial class taught by a demon!" She cried out, but her pleas fell on deaf ears as no one could challenge Ironwood.**

"Yeesh. She makes it sound like it's the end of the world." Nora snacked on her pancakes.

Glynda lowered her eyes, "Would you like to out our remedial class, Miss Valkyrie?"

"I, uh, no thanks! I'm g-good!"

"We have remedial classes?" Coco asked with a frown.

Ozpin nodded, "We do. Struggling students are often put into remedial classes in order to assist them in their educations and improve their performances."

"Well, they certainly have a good reason not to let their Avatars die." Jaune chuckled weakly, very glad that he did not have to take remedial classes. From the sound of it, the remedial class is a nightmare.

**"If you want to pass through here, you have to defeat us first!" Hideyoshi repeated Shimada's earlier statement, this time, directed at Class E representative, Nakabayashi. **

**"I see." She said, stepping out in front of her classmates. "Then that's what we'll do." Nakabayashi raised her hand to signal her fellow classmates to summon their Avatars. **

**Class F followed suit, summoning their Avatar to aid their three champions in the following battle. **

**"Let's fight!" **

**"Humph."**

/-/

**The scene cuts to a classroom sign that read 'Replenish Room' where Himeji would be taking her test. As of now, she was the only one in the classroom with Youko being the test proctor.**

**Youko glanced at her watch, "Well then, if you're ready, please start." **

**Himeji put on her determined face and lifted her writing utensil. She will have to complete the test within a short amount of time and get a good score if she were to participate in the ST War and achieve victory for Class F. She'll have to be quick, precise, and accurate.**

Sun flicked his tail, feeling the pressure of having everyone depend on you. "Outside, your classmates are waging a war and you're sitting in a quiet room taking a test just so you can get back in the fight. I wonder how that would feel. I mean, she's their last hope apparently."

"Probably a lot of pressure." Blake wonders what it would be like if failing their combat class would affect the condition of their dorm room and such. "It's like the ranking of our academic performances determines how nice our dorm room is."

"So glad we don't have that sort of thing in play," Yang muttered.

**Back at Class F, the remaining students within the classroom have barricaded themselves with their wooden chabudai tables. The walls and doors vibrated every now and then from the battle occurring outside. But that didn't seem to concern Yuuji who yawned and laid on his back with a small fabric cushion to rest his head and arms.**

**"What's your strategy, Yuuji?" Yoshii asked his class rep all while staring at the shaky barricade they put up. Class E was getting closer. **

**"I don't have any." He replied casually.**

"Seriously?" Qrow said with a deadpanned expression, didn't the kid strategize with the entire class earlier?

Jaune frowned, "Didn't he go over their plan earlier? Well, we heard part of it."

"He probably took that entire time to draw the map on the chalkboard." Maria grinned and laughed at the idea but didn't dismiss the notation. "If Class F lives up to their reputation as idiots, I wouldn't be surprised!"

**"What?" Does Yuuji not have a plan when they declared war on Class E?! Then what was the point of going into length on their war strategy meeting earlier?**

**"It's a power game that depends on force, so the enemy rushes into the classroom of the overwhelmed side. And the class whose rep gets defeated loses." In other words, if the class representative's Avatar 'dies', then the entire class loses the war.**

"From what I understand, if their class representative loses, then it is an instant win condition for the opposing force?" Ironwood asked their Hosts.

_"That is correct."_

Ozpin took a slight sip from his mug and set it down, "I see. So, it's much like a chess game. Whoever takes the king wins."

Smirking at the mention of chess and chess pieces is Cinder. They were, after all, playing a very similar and deadly game back at Remnant. Unlike the one on-screen, theirs was real and life-threatening with potentially staggering consequences with each gain and loss.

"That means they must allocate their forces correctly or risk having their class rep taken or being overwhelmed." Oscar said to himself and frowned, "That sounds difficult."

**"There's no way we'd be overwhelmed, right?" **

**"Trouble! We're gonna be overwhelmed!" Shimada shouted loudly from the corridor. **

**"Eeeeeeh?!"**

"Jinxed it." Qrow raised a glass and downed it. "An important lesson from the greatest huntsman ever," Half of the audience scoffed at that. "Don't tempt fate."

**Yuuji wasn't fazed or surprised by the news, "Class E's school performance is better than ours. So, if we fight in a straightforward way, it's only a matter of time before we lose." **

**"Oh noooo!" Yoshii clutched his head.**

"You think?" Weiss sarcastically said.

"My thoughts exactly." Winter shook her head. Incompetent commanders will only waste lives. Granted that this is a lighthearted mock battle, but she shutters to think what will happen if this was in a real combat scenario.

**"But they're only Class E after all." While it is true that Class E is superior to Class F, they're not that superior to them. "They're not much different from Class F. It'll take time to overwhelm us. That time is the key to our victory." **

**They just need to hold out long enough for Himeji to finish her test and participate in the war.**

"Not a strategy many would find desirable, but should it be the most probable action to ensure victory, then it must be considered." Ironwood rubbed his chin on that. His peers also nodded in agreement, glad that this particular scenario was comedic and lighthearted.

**In the raging hallways, Shimada was losing against Nakabayashi. Her Avatar staggering back as Nakabayashi's Avatar swung her baseball bat, striking chibi Shimada's saber hard. Her score was quickly depleting and soon, it will reach zero should she not retreat. **

**"My score is…" She gritted her teeth. **

**Kouta's Avatar slide into view, utilizing his camera flash to disorientate Nakabayashi's Avatar, forcing her to jump back just in time to avoid chibi Hideyoshi's naginata. **

**"As it stands, you'll die." Hideyoshi flatly said to Shimada, "Step back and go recover your score!" **

**"Okay!" She turned and ran out of the digitalized field. Once out, her glyphs and Avatar dematerialized without the support of the field.**

"A good system restriction that ensures the students can't abuse their Avatars." Glynda nodded approvingly, wishing she had a semblance or technology that does something similar.

"It certainly would make life easier." Ironwood agreed.

/-/

**The next scene cuts to Shimada sitting next to Himeji, her writing utensils placed neatly to her side. **

**"I'll take the recovery test!" She said to Youko. **

**Youko fixed her glasses, "The score of this test will be your score when you summon your Avatar next time. If you get a lower score, your Avatar will get weaker instead. Is that okay?"**

"So, it's essentially having to take a test to recover our aura and the score we get determines how strong or weak we are?" Pyrrha asked.

"Sounds about right." Tai swallowed his popcorn, "It's like a testament of one's composure and skills. The smarter and more composed you are, the stronger you might become."

**"Yes." **

**"Which subject would you like to take?"**

**"Math, please." It's her strongest subject. Shimada got to work immediately the teacher handed her the test sheet. _'I have to answer as many as I can to get a better score!'_**

Oscar frowned, "We can hear their thoughts as well?"

"Well, we are in an interdimensional movie theater that magically makes us food and stuff…" Ruby softly replied, "The cookies are good by the way. You should try them."

"Ah, thanks."

**Back on the battlefield, Kouta staggered back as Nakabayashi broke through his defense. "I can't fight anymore." **

**"Muttsulini!" Hideyoshi shouted, surging forward and blocking an attack for Kouta. "Let's take a strategic withdrawal!" **

**Without a word, chibi Kouta raised his camera and beamed the entire battlefield, allowing them to escape. The rest of the students from Class F will hold them off while they withdraw and recover. **

**Nakabayashi triumphantly smiled, "This battle is mine!" She shouted; her Avatar raised her baseball bat into the air, glowing a sheen of blue-green. **

**Chibi Nakabayashi then charged, transforming into a twirling wind lance that stabbed through the entire forces of Class F, eliminating all of them in one strike. With their Avatars gone, their glyphs shattered allowing their opponents to pass through their defense. **

**"Shoot!" Hideyoshi yelped as they just witnessed nearly all of their forces wiped out in a split second.**

"That's an understatement," Vernal smirked, impressed that despite being in the second worse class in the school, Class E's Rep is no pushover.

"She's practically a one-man army to them," Jaune noted on the representative of Class E has one of the highest scores on the display by her Avatar. "And she's not the strongest… It makes you wonder how the other classes are."

"No kidding," Qrow mumbled.

**Nakabayashi smiled, looking very proud of herself. "Attack them!" **

**Class E let out a triumphant war cry as they stormed towards Class F's classroom.**

**The defenders in Class F stood up and immediately summoned their glyphs and Avatars while Yoshii was still rustling and clutching his head in panic. **

**"Sounds like our line of defense has been broken." Yuuji was still laying on the ground, looking relaxed. **

**"This is bad, Yuuji!" Yoshii tried to nail the situation through his class rep skull.**

"He must have a plan he's not telling." Cinder mused, "He's way too relaxed."

Winter nodded, "Still, he shouldn't be hiding it from his classmates."

/-/

**In the Replenishing Room, two girls were still taking their tests, unaware of the situation that has befallen on their classmates. **

**Shimada was confidentially smiling as she filled out the math answers. _'If it's just numerical formulas, it's a breeze as I don't have to be able to read Japanese!_' Just as she finished writing down her answer, she scrolled down her test and saw that the next problem was a word problem. She clutched her head and mentally screamed, _'Ah! Kanji! I'll skip this and move on to the next question.'_**

"Wait, so this girl can't read?" Glynda said with an incredulous expression.

_"The Japanese writing system uses three different systems for writing."_

Oobleck was astonished by that, "Fascinating! Simple fascinating! There must be a reason why throughout their course of history that resulted in such a unique writing system!" He wrote it down on his note to go back over. "Will I be able to read the history of their culture?"

_"You will during our next intermission."_

**The sound of swift scratching noise could be heard near her. Shimada frowned and glanced over to Himeji, whose arms were nothing but a blur as she answered every single question in a heartbeat.**

"Whoa, she's fast." Sun gasped.

/-/

**Class F defenders were no match for the average student of Class E. They were heavily outnumbered, and their scores were laughable compared to their opponents. With the remaining defenders down, only Yuuji and Yoshii were left standing in the room. **

**Ironman suddenly appeared out of nowhere, grabbing the fallen defenders by their uniform neckline and dragging them away. "Those who died, meet me in the remedial classroom!" **

**Everyone temporarily halted their attack, letting Ironman through with the casualties of war.**

Qrow chuckled, "He's like Death on the battlefield. Everyone fears the reaper but keeps fighting."

"Pish! It must be his scary mug and voice." Maria grinned while, "Quite a drag, don't you think?"

"Did you just make a pun?" Yang asked, grinning along with the elderly lady.

"Stop! No more!" Ruby flailed around in her seat.

**"What do we do, Yuuji?!" Yoshii frantically shook his friend on the shoulder, but Yuuji sat in his seat, looking unmoved.**

**"Are you guys done already?" Nakabayashi mockingly asked them, haughtily crossing her arms. "Looks like this is it for you, huh? Mr. Class F Rep." **

**Unfazed, Yuuji coolly answered, "Oh? The Class E Rep herself marches in here? How confident you are."**

Jaune couldn't help but admire the confident Yuuji was giving off, "Well, she did wipe out most of their uh… Army? Classmates?"

"She does have every right to be confident." Ren admits, "But she shouldn't be underestimating them."

**"The first term just started, and you declared a war already? Are you an idiot?" She placed her hands on her hips, "It's right after the placement test, so the difference between us is the difference between our test scores. You think you have a chance?" **

**"Well, who knows?" Yuuji happily shrugged.**

**"Oh, I see. You're an idiot who can't figure even that out. That's why you're in Class F."**

"That's a bit harsh, but I can see what she means." Blake hesitantly said, if she was Class E and things were going this well, she too might think of them this way.

**Yoshii leaned and whispered in Yuuji's ear, "Yuuji, without even a strategy, there's no way we can defeat a higher-ranked class."**

**"Oh, yeah. Come to think of it, I did have one strategy."**

Glynda raised an eyebrow, something tells her that his strategy won't be as genuine and well built. Years of teaching students had led to her developing a foresight on these sorts of matters.

**"Eh?"**

**Yuuji grinned and glanced at Yoshii, "Don't you get why I have you here?" **

**"What?" Yoshii was taken aback. He then sighed and smiled, "I see…" **

**Nakabayashi looked shocked, "Don't tell me he is…"**

"Are we finally going to see him break their legs?" Nora asked.

"I think the most important question is, what can he do? He is a probationary student, and everyone seems to be wary of him for some reason. We might finally get to see why." Pyrrha responded.

**"That's right." Yuuji confirmed, "This student, Akihisa Yoshii, is a probationary student! Yoshii! Show them your real power!" **

**"Tsk. I guess it can't be helped, huh?" He stood up with a confident look, "After all, in the end, I'll have to show off my grand skills, huh? Summon!" **

**He summoned his Avatar carrying a bokken or wooden sword. The moment he summoned his Avatar, the entirety of Class E took a step back, cautious of the infamous probationary student.**

"I say it's a buff," Raven said; one that they are falling for.

"Wanna bet?" Qrow asked his sister.

"No."

**"The probationary student's Avatar has a special ability." Yuuji explained with a smug look, "As punishment, he has to help with the teachers' chores, so his Avatar can actually touch objects." He let Yoshii's Avatar pick up his table and tossed it in the air. "And…" The table then fell on top of chibi Yoshii's head. "The summoner receives the same pain that his Avatar receives." Everyone watched as Yoshii kicked on the floor while clutching his head in pain. His Avatar was also mimicking his movement, having taken damage as well. "See, isn't it interesting?"**

**"Is that all?!" Yoshii grinded his teeth and snarled at Yuuji.**

"Told you." Raven smugly smirked, enjoying the annoyed look her brother was giving her.

The rest of the audience chuckled at Yoshii's shenanigan and stupidity.

"Judging from their statement, aside from the probationary student's Avatar, their Avatars cannot interact with objects outside of their virtual reality," Penny said.

Ironwood nodded, "Dr. Polendina would have like to get his hands on this sort of technology."

**Nakabayashi regained her composure at the sight of Yoshii's idiocy. "Fine. I'll take care of that small fry first. Summon!" **

**"We won't lose so easily. Let's go!" He commanded his Avatar to charge towards the chibi Nakabayashi. **

**However, the poor flooring of the classroom made his Avatar trip. His Avatar fell and rolled several times before colliding with the legs of an overturned table headfirst. Another deduction in his score due to the damage his Avatar sustained. **

**"Ahh! He hit the same spot!" Yoshii was withering on the floor, clutching his head in pain. "It hurts! It hurts!" He quickly composed himself and got up from the floor, "Just as you'd expect from the Class E Rep. You're not bad."**

"No, I'm pretty sure you're more of a threat to yourself than she is." Weiss flatly said.

Yang playfully nudges Weiss on the arm, "Weiss, you need to have a better sense of humor."

"She's too cultured for that." Roman jeered at the heiress.

"What your mouth, Roman." Winter snarled.

**"He's such a useless guard." Nakabayashi felt pity for the idiot. **

**Yuuji smiled, "No… He was very helpful." **

**The idiocy of Yoshii's display brought them enough time for Himeji to finish her test.**

"Distracted by stupidity." Mercury snorted, finding this screening slightly humorous in a strange way. It must be the suffering of that Yoshii guy that Mercury finds it amusing.

Qrow shrugged, "Hey, a distraction is a distraction."

"Every single second is an important moment in a battle," Tai added.

**Class E converged on Yuuji with Nakabayashi at the helm, "Then, as Rep, I'll put an end to this myself." The scene briefly cuts to Himeji running down the hallway. "Be prepared. Class E Rep, Hiromi Nakabayashi! I challenge Yuuji Saka…" **

**Her issuing of a duel was interrupted by Himeji bursting into the classroom. "Please wait!" She shouted, quickly recovering her breath. "Mizuki Himeji! I accept this challenge! I'm summoning my Avatar! Summon! Here I come!"**

"Here comes the cavalry." Coco cheered before toning down her voice, "I wonder… If she didn't fall ill during the exams, which class would she be in?"

**Himeji's Avatar was knight-like and wielded a large doublehand sword. With a swift stroke of her blade, a large wind slash cut through the entirety of Class E Avatars, dispelling their glyphs; leaving only the Class E Rep standing.**

"Whoa, talk about a returning the favor." Said Sun.

"She took out the entire class!" Ruby whispered excitedly.

**"What's with that score?!" **

**"Her offense power is as high as Class A!" **

**"Why is such a student in Class F?!" **

**Yuuji sat back, looking pleased with himself. "She's finally here."**

**"Himeji!" Yoshii exclaimed while his Avatar was bouncing up and down happily. **

**"Mizuki Himeji…? Don't tell me you are…" Nakabayashi took a step back, clearly afraid.**

Cinder smiled at the display, "They didn't see it coming. Sometimes you must be prepared for the unexpected despite everything that would have said otherwise."

"True words to go by." Glynda nodded.

**"Yoshii!" Shimada popped out from behind Himeji. **

**"Shimada?"**

**"She's really amazing!" Shimada shook Himeji, a flashback of her blitzing through her test questions, quickly piling up loads of paper for Glynda to carry.**

**Yuuji nodded, "Just as you'd expect from her. She wasn't a Class A candidate for nothing."**

"Oh snap! That means if she wasn't ill during that day, she would have been in Class A!" Yang hit her palm, which means Class F has a huge edge against the other classes with her on their side.

"This battle is over. Class F won." Winter analytically determined, "It's no different than having a long-timed veteran huntsman fight all out against the top student of the class."

**"That's Himeji's score?!" Her score for math was 412. Compared to the rest of Class E and F, they could never dream of achieving a score that high.**

"Is that high?" Ruby asked before adding a little bit more to her question, "For Class F or for all the classes?"

"I don't know… I wonder how their grading system works." Weiss pondered.

**"Fumizuki Academy's tests have an unlimited number of questions in a limited time." Yuuji explained, "So long as you can answer, your score doesn't have a limit."**

"Whoa. If that's how things go, then the really smart ones have got to be gods amongst them." Jaune said in awe.

Ozpin nearly choked on Jaune's comment. It reminded him of the time he and Salem proclaimed themselves as gods back in ancient eras.

**"Then the strategy you mentioned was…"**

**"Buying some time for her to take the test," Yuuji said proudly, much to the displeasure of Yoshii and his Avatar.**

"That's… I am reluctant to say it's a good strategy, but it is a viable option to fall back on a specific scenario." Glynda pinched her forehead, "But they could come up with a better plan."

"Like…?" Qrow gestured with his hand for Glynda to go on.

"I wouldn't know, but it's a lot better than fighting straight on against a superior opponent." She glared at Yang who is most guilty of this.

Yang shrank back a bit, chuckling weakly.

"Are you still charging in headfirst, firecracker?" Yang asked his daughter.

"We can discuss that later." Glynda sniff.

**Back to the battle between Nakabayashi and Himeji, the former was tensed and on guard. "I wasn't told such a person is in Class F!"**

"Either you need to work on your intel gathering, or you should expect the unexpected." Coco had encounter unexpected things many times when her team was out on missions. While it can catch them off guard every now and then, they were mostly able to adapt and react punctually.

It is a key aspect of being a huntsman or huntress after all.

**"Well then, here I come! I'm sorry!" Her Avatar leaped into the air and spun down, slicing through chibi Nakabayashi's defense in one strike. With the Class Rep eliminated, the battle was won.**

"She apologizes a lot, just like you Pyrrha." Jaune playful teased his partner, making her smile.

**"Class F Win" The system announced. **

**The screen darkens, leading to these words, marking the first victory of Class F: "And thus, this Summoner Test War ended with a victory by Class F."**

/-/

**"All right! You're amazing, Himeji! This is all thanks to your power, Himeji!" Yoshii jumped and cheered. **

**"Well… Thank you very much." She replied shyly.**

"She's quite humble." Ozpin chuckles, it was a fine quality to have these days.

Tai joined in, "She reminds me of Ruby, though not as meek like she is."

"Daaad…" Ruby whined, covering her face with a hand.

**"Now we can exchange our classroom equipment with Class E's, right?" Yoshii turned to Yuuji, eager to leave this rundown classroom. Meanwhile, Nakabayashi was slumped on the floor, looking defeated after losing the first ST War of the term. "Though it's just a little, the environment will be better." **

**"No, we won't exchange our equipment." Yuuji had better ideas.**

**"Huh?"**

Team RWBY, Sun, and Neptune echoed Yoshii's sentiment, "Huh?"

**"We'll keep the same equipment," Yuuji said firmly, getting a nice reaction out of Nakabayashi who looked surprised at this revelation. "Isn't that a nice proposal, Miss Class E Rep?" **

**"What…? Why?" ****Nakabayashi** **asked cautiously. **

**Yoshii also had the same question, "Why, Yuuji?! We fought hard and won the war!"**

"Yeah! Why? It's for the pink-haired girl's sake!" Nora pouted; this leader isn't a good one apparently. All he does he sacrifice his classmates and sits back.

"He must have a reason," Neptune said cautiously.

**Before he could answer, the door slid open catching everyone's attention. A female student that looked identical to Hideyoshi stood at the entrance, crossing her arms with a disinterested look. **

**"Is it settled?" She asked them.**

**Yoshii looked shocked, "Why are you dressed like that, Hideyoshi?" He then smiled, thinking he found the answer. "Oh, I see! You've finally awakened to your true self, right?!"**

Roman laughed, "I feel sorry for that kid."

"Pretty, tender boy." Neo's sign read.

The B of Team RWBY was secretly writing down something. Something that's forbidden in the eyes of her teammates. "Subtext… Subtext."

**"Yoshii, I'm right here," Hideyoshi said, sitting behind him. **

**"What?! Two Hideyoshi?!" He turned towards Hideyoshi and the other Hideyoshi who was wearing a female uniform. **

**"That's my older sister." Hideyoshi pointed out.**

"Once again, it's the older twin sister that's superior to her little brother," Raven said smugly to Qrow.

Qrow sneered and drank from his flask, "Just my luck." He grumbled, "You're just as good as me, Rae."

**Yuuko walked towards them, "Hideyoshi is my little twin brother." She confirms, "I'm Yuuko Kinoshita, an ambassador from Year 2, Class A. We, Class A, hereby declare war on you, Class F!" **

**"What?!" Everyone yelped in surprise.**

"I suppose their class rep saw this coming." Cinder thought about it, "It must have something to do with that girl who was listening in on their war meeting." She deduces, but there wasn't much context to go on. "I'm certain she heard about their covet of Class A earlier."

"They're trying to put them in their place," Raven remarked. She would have done the same thing if she was in Class A position, even more so if she's well aware of their trump cards and tricks. "Crush a movement just when it's about to form."

**Why were the elites taking interest in all of this? Class F and Class E are at the bottom of the school hierarchy, there shouldn't be any reason why the top students from Class A would waste their time on them!**

**"Why is Class A declaring war on us?!" Yoshii angrily asked the ambassador. **

**"We won't go easy on you just because you're the lowest-ranked class." She calmly deflected his question. "We'll crush you mercilessly, so be prepared." **

**Yuuji's eyes were masked in the shadows, his expression unreadable. As the camera zoomed in closer, he grinned before the screen cuts to black. **

**The presentation ends.**

"He knew." Ironwood hummed, "He knew that Class A would be declaring war on them."

"He certainly knows how to plan ahead." Cinder was impressed by that. Scheming, foreseeing that sort of reaction would have been extremely difficult, but not impossible. Nonetheless, it is satisfying when it's been correctly accounted for.

"That was… Interesting to watch?" Oscar never watched a movie, much less an alternative reality, so it's numbing a bit.

"Yeah! It was pretty fun to watch." Ruby cheerfully said, and then frowned when she realized what the Hosts said they would be watching after this viewing. "Oh… The dark stuff is next after this one…"

_"In a sense, yes."_ The Hosts confirmed.

"Oi, are you trying to traumatize the kid here?" Qrow pointed at Oscar before quickly apologizing, "Sorry about that kid, just a bit concern for your mental health."

Oscar bristled a bit but didn't say anything, sinking into his seat. "I can handle it."

"You could have said it less bluntly." Weiss gave Oscar a reassuring pat, mellowing out to his puppy-like eyes. "Ignore what that drunk man said."

"Hey, I was trying to help."

_"The next one shall be a story. A short fairy tale told in another world. One that has been long forgotten and dismissed as fiction. It shall be short, but it will be a start."_

That got Ozpin's attention. "Interesting." Fairy tales had been of interest to him since… Forever. After all, he was one of those who shaped them in the first place. "I always wondered how the fairy tales of other worlds go by."

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**NEXT:** **Hellboy 2 - The Story of the Golden Army**

* * *

**Reaching the point where I will soon be taking requests through the review section and PMs. That said, I will also have others things in-between these other chapters as well. **

**It's not a promise. I still have a few more chapters to write.**

* * *

**Pardon our grammar, spelling, and sequences description.**

**Loooong chapter.**

* * *

**Another Note: I have posted some Concepts on my Profile page. If you're interested in what they are, come and check them out.**


	13. Hellboy 2 - The Story of the Golden Army

**I'll be honest... I did not like how this chapter turned out.**

**Pardon my grammar.**

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**Hellboy 2 - The Story of the Golden Army**

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"Not all fairy tales have happy endings, Ruby." Blake told her team leader, "Sometimes people change things to make them a little bit… Err, happier."

"Yeah, like a children's story." Yang nodded.

The room darkened.

"It's starting," Ren said.

**The scene starts off with an old gentleman known as Professor Trevor Bruttenholm, or Professor Broom; retrieving a wooden box from his stash. He placed it down and opened it, revealing an assortment of charms, candles, and trinkets. But what he was truly after was the large ornate book that was strapped on the inner lid.**

**Sitting not far from Professor Broom is Hellboy himself. A young boy with crimson skin and two horns, one of which has been reduced to a stump.**

"Is… That a faunus?" Velvet hesitantly asked the Hosts. Coloration aside, the young Hellboy could pass off as one.

_"No. This one is not a faunus. This one is half-demon, half-human."_

Port raised an eyebrow, "Demons?"

_"Correct. Demons from other planes of existence, but we shall not discuss that for the time being."_

**Hellboy sat patiently on a stool holding his puppet, waiting for his father to read the story of the Golden Army for this special winter night. The professor carefully took the book out of its box, sat down, and started reading an ancient story long forgotten by mankind. **

**"It is said that at the dawn of time – man, beast and all magical beings lived together under Aidlin, the Father Tree." As the professor read on, Hellboy turned and stared at the fire crackling in the small metal furnace of their residences. "But man had been created with a hole in his heart. A hole that no possession, power or knowledge could fill. And in his infinite greed, man dreamt of expanding his dominion over the entire Earth."**

**The camera slowly zoomed into the fire, letting the red flames flicker, transitioning the audience into a stark world. A world whose tale was told through puppetry.**

"That certainly brings me back." Port twirled his mustache, remembering the wooden puppet shows his grandfather would bring him to watch. "These are meant to represent humans?"

Ozpin agreed with Port. This certainly brought the ancient wizard back in time when the CCT did not exists. Puppet shows were the only entertainment that could even come close to it.

_"Correct. The featureless, plain puppets are humans."_

**Thunder roared across the sickly clouds above a featureless wooden puppet representing a human. The human stood attention, straightening up along with several identical wooden puppets. They emitted a low, guttural sound as they raised their spears into the air, slamming it down with a solid thud. **

**On the other side, a large wooden puppet representing an ogre growled and turned to face the oncoming human army. It stood amongst the ranks of many magical creatures, preparing to defend their lands against the encroaching humans.**

"I'm guessing that those guys are magical beings." Coco sat back in her seat.

_"Correct."_

Blake silently watched, drawn to the tale of conflict between man and magical beings. It reminded her of the issues between humans and faunus. Knowing what the Hosts said, this one might have a good ending.

"Looks like there are several… Different species amongst their army. Do they have a single name they unified under?" Ozpin asked.

The ancient wizard knew that magical beings existed. The Brother Gods, the Relic of Knowledge entity known as Jinn… It was interesting to know that there were other beings that were supposedly magical. Ozpin idly wondered what they were capable of.

_"They call themselves the Sons of the Earth or the Bethmoora Clan."_

**A large swarm of humans came charging wildly towards the column of heavily armed magical beings. Their battle cries filled the air, declaring to the magical beings that they, the humans, will not be stopped here. **

**The magical beings let out a united grunt, projecting their pole weapons out towards their enemies and braced themselves as the humans came charging in. Their battle cries echoing as the two armies clashed together, cutting to black.**

Winter frowned, "They charged straight into a wall of spears?"

"Eh, lighten up Ice Queen." Qrow wagged a finger at her.

"Hey!"

"Not you, Ice Queen Jr." Qrow took a swig from his flask. "Look, Ice Queen. It's just a story told with puppets. Did you think they're going to reenact an actually, tactical battle?"

"I'll give you that." Winter sneered.

**It fades back to the aftermath of the battle, shredded banners swaying in the winds, wooden puppets representing different species laid motionless as corpses. The dead piled amongst one another, packed tightly till it was but a hill of corpses.**

"A mountain of corpses. The price of war." Ozpin quietly said, remembering the Great War that occurred nearly centuries ago.

"A symbolic representation of the lives lost in battle." Neptune grimly mused.

"Nerd." Sun scoffed.

"Intellectual." He corrected.

**"The blood of many elf, ogre and goblin was spilled in their war with man." **

**Standing atop of mountain of corpses was a lone tree and a regal puppet, decorated with a craved crown and a cloth cloak. This puppet represented King Balor, the elf king. He surveyed the field of carnage with sorrow and placed one hand over his face in grief. **

**"And King Balor, the one-armed king of Elfland watched the slaughter in dread and despair."**

Ozpin felt sympathy for King Balor. One of his previous incarnations was the King of Vale, witnessing the Great War raging throughout Remnant.

"The world is cruel and unforgiving." Roman scoffed.

"So, who's winning this war? The humans or these magical beings?" Mercury causally asked, feeling slightly bored.

The Hosts didn't answer.

**The scene cuts to a stocky, crown-wearing puppet limping towards King Balor's throne. It was the master of the goblin blacksmith. The goblin halted a few feet away from the stairs before the throne and bowed to King Balor. **

**"But one day, the master of the goblin blacksmiths offered to build the King a golden mechanical army. Seventy times, seventy soldiers that would never know hunger and could not be stopped."**

Ironwood perked up at that, "That sounds interesting."

"Indeed." Ozpin nodded.

"Why didn't they do that earlier?" Jaune asked. If they could have built an army like that during the start of the war, why didn't they do so?

"And why limit the number to seventy?" Plot holes always irked Weiss. Especially certain fairy tales whose entire plot seemed to revolve around something that could easily be solved.

Qrow shrugged, "We may never know."

**A detailed wooden puppet representing Prince Nuada leaned closer to his father, King Balor, and whispered into his ears, while his twin sister; Princess Nuala stood behind them.**

**"Prince Nuada begged his father to agree."**

Blake did not know why, but she could feel the 'Adam vibe' coming off of the Prince Nuada puppet. She could somehow see the projection of King Balor as her father and Princess Nuala as herself. The puppet characters on screen, the conflict… It was somehow relatable.

**King Balor nodded to his son's request and walked down the flight of stairs, standing over the goblin. **

**_"Build me this army."_ The King said.**

**The goblins set to work immediately. Ominous gears turned and grind against one another as the goblins worked tirelessly. They hammered and forged the metal bodies of the golden mechanical army, sending showers of spark into the air. Within time, seventy golden mechanical soldiers lined the room.**

"Aw, I was hoping to see more stuff at their workshop." Ruby pouted.

"And what will a puppet show teach you what to build or inspire?" Yang teased her little sister.

Ruby responded by sticking out her tongue.

**"So, a magical crown was forged that would allow those of royal blood to command the Golden Army if unchallenged."**

"How do they know if the wearer is of royal blood?" Jaune asked, "What counts as royal blood. Is it like actual blood?"

"Well, it did say magically. So, I supposed that the crown will magically know somehow?" Pyrrha put out.

**The master of the goblin blacksmith presented the royal family with a golden crown. Prince Nuada gently took the crown from the goblin and placed it over King Balor's head. After successfully mounting it over the old king, Prince Nuada stood back as his father rose from his throne. **

**"I am King Balor, leader of the Golden Army. Is there anyone who disputes my right?" **

**"And in his throne room, no one challenged his word." The golden army raised their swords in the air to greet their leader.**

**"But wait," The story was suddenly interrupted by Hellboy who was brushing his teeth. "What if someone could challenge him? Would they have a fight?"**

"That's what I was thinking," Raven grumbled.

Qrow snorted disdainfully, "You're always gunning for the leadership, Rae. But you never challenged Summer's after she –"

"I still have pictures of you from our initiation." She threatened her brother, still keeping a picture of Qrow wearing a skirt and getting launched by a launch pad during Beacon's initiation.

That shut him up and piqued some interest from his nieces and comrades.

**"Well, most likely, a challenge must be answered. But do you want to hear the end of the story or not?" Professor Broom looked slightly irritated. **

**"Yes, please." Hellboy nodded and resumed brushing his teeth.**

**The professor huffed, "So… The world was changed, and next time the humans marched,"**

**The scene fades back to the puppetry presentation. The human army proudly marched with their shields, weapons, and banners in the air. Undaunted and fearless. **

**"They felt the earth tremble beneath their feet –" **

**Their leader raised its hand to halt their march, feeling that something was wrong.**

"They're doomed." Neo's sign read.

**"and saw the sky darken with monstrous shapes."**

**The humans glanced up as they saw the Golden Army marching towards them. The mechanical soldiers towered over the humans many times and were impervious to their weaponry.**

"Whoa, they are larger than I thought!" Jaune was taken aback by the size of a single mechanical soldier.

In fact, most of the audiences were also surprised as well.

**The Golden Army raised its gigantic sword with one hand and began slaughtering the human army with ease. The humans futilely raised their shields, but the raw strength of these mechanical beings crushed their defenses. The mechanical roar of the Golden Army echoed as they laid waste to the human army.**

**The screen cuts to black.**

"What goes around, comes around," Maria said softly.

"A wise quote." Ozpin agreed.

**The next scene showed a field filled with human corpses. A lone survivor painfully crawled towards a spear sticking out of the field of corpses, reaching out to it. A giant sword stabbed the human through its torso, killing it instantly.**

"No mercy." Said Raven, who also favors the same tactic under most circumstances. "Not that these giant robots know what that means in the first place."

Penny bristled at that but shook it off understanding that so far, all androids like her are soulless and emotionless.

Her friend, Ruby, didn't seem to enjoy Raven's comment and made a pouty face at her.

**"The Golden Army had no remorse. Felt no loyalty or pain."**

Qrow sneered at Ironwood, "Take note, Jimmy."

"You will address the general by his proper title and name," Winter growled.

"I ain't giving him that honor till he understands why Atlas Military sucks. Your walking trashcans ain't –"

"Qrow!" Ozpin cut off the drunk huntsman, "We can discuss this later."

Ironwood silently sighed. He was confident in Atlas technology but understands that it wasn't perfect. That said, he believes that it would be difficult for Atlas Military tech to be hacked and used against them. Still, it was essential to limit the number of casualties on the battlefield by introducing military androids.

In the 'villain' section, Roman shifted his eyes a bit while Cinder frowned slightly. She wasn't entirely concerned about the possible outcome for the time being. Cinder is certain that she has everything under control. As much as she hates to admit it, when it comes to tampering with Atlas technology; Arthur Watts is the person to rely on.

**A lone mechanical soldier stared at the human it had just killed and raised it high into the air with triumph.**

**"And King Balor's heart grew heavy with regret."**

**It cuts back to King Balor and his children standing on top of a hill, watching the golden army raised their weapons in a reciprocating motion as if they were cheering. But to the king, there was no cause to celebrate for the atrocities he had committed. King Balor shook his head sadly and covered his eyes, lamenting about the choices he had made.**

That hit slightly home for Ozpin, who destroyed a part of Vacuo during the Great War. To this day, Vacuo has yet to recover and Ozpin felt horrible for the lasting impact he made on that kingdom. However, it was a necessary action to take in order to end the Great War quickly.

"This king is too soft." Raven snorted.

"Not everyone is cruel and heartless." Glynda sneered at the bandit queen.

Raven glared back wanting to retort but swallowed it. She would not swoop to their level.

**"So, he called a truce and divided the crown into three pieces." **

**The golden crown split into three pieces.**

**"One for the humans and two for himself."**

Cinder mentally shook her head. That was simply a waste. To have that sort of power at their disposal only to get rid of it.

"He's a benevolent king." Oobleck nodded approvingly. There weren't many people who would give up power like that.

"Indeed." Ozpin agreed.

**King Balor and his children stood before the human army. A lone human stood from the rest of the army still holding on to his spear and shield. Behind the human representative, the humans silently observed; their banners calmly fluttering in the wind.**

**Raising one arm, King Balor gestured for peace.**

"You think the humans will agree to the truce?" Sun asked his partner, Neptune.

Neptune nodded since this story seemed to be heading in that direction. "I think they will."

"Peace between two different races is nice…" Blake sighed hopefully.

**"ln exchange man would keep to the cities and the magical beings would own the forests."**

**The human glanced at his spear and shield… And dropped it on the ground. **

**"This truce would be honored by their sons and the sons of their sons until the end of time."**

Roman shook his head, "Yeah, that's not going to happen."

"You're just a ray of sunshine, aren't you?" Maria snarked, "You might as well dye your hair gray or any depressing color to match your personality. And while you're at it, change your eyeliner to something dull to match your depressing theme. You too, little girl."

Roman and Neo stared flatly at Maria.

"She's my favorite now." Mercury laughed.

Emerald giggled, "I know, right?"

**King Balor and the human shook hands, agreeing to the truce and ending the war between humans and magical beings. The human army let out a cheer, raising their hands and weapons to the skies and beating on their shields with glee.**

"Yay! Happy ending!" Ruby cheered.

"I don't think so…" Blake said quietly.

Oscar silently nodded, having the same foreboding thinking as Blake.

**However, not all stories have a happy closed end. **

**Princess Nuala felt her brother's dissatisfaction and glanced worryingly at him, while he glared at his father and humanity, clenching his fist and turned away. **

**"But Prince Nuada did not believe in the promises of man. And it is said that he went into exile vowing to return the day his people needed him most." **

**The prince walked into the sunset, exiling himself. Waiting for the day he would return and save his people from the mistakes his father had made. There will come a day where he will shine and be looked upon as his people's savior. But for now, he is not welcome.**

Blake's cat ears flattened on her head. After that train incident where Adam was willing to blow up a train full of innocent people, she knew that he was no longer the person she knew. Should peace be made between the faunus, all four kingdoms and the SDC… Adam would most likely react the same way Prince Nuada had.

Ironwood sighed, "Some people can't move on. I can understand their reasoning, but…"

"We all can't live in the past." Oobleck said, "But that's easier said than done."

One cannot erase the pain and suffering of others or oneself. Resentment, hatred… Those feelings can come and stay for a very long time. And not everyone is as forgiving.

**The scene fades to a room filled with deactivated mechanical soldiers being sealed away behind a large door. **

**"So, the Golden Army lay dormant locked inside the earth. Waiting."**

**The world of puppetry fades to the storybook being closed. **

**"And there it is to this day – awaiting the day the crown is made whole again. Silent. Still…" The professor leaned closer, whispering the last line. "and indestructible."**

"No offense, but we fought and won against a giant military mech." Yang shot a glare at Roman, "And I demolished it with a single punch. Those golden robot things don't look like much."

"Yeah!" Nora pumped her fist.

"Wait, you kids did what now?" Tai gave his daughter a very serious stare.

Yang nervously glanced at him, "Uhm… We'll talk about that later."

_"We assure you. None of you here are capable of destroying a single soldier of the Golden Army. The magic that fields their existence ensures that it will remain active."_

"So, magic could be used that way…" Ozpin mused.

Cinder also shared the same thoughtful look as well.

"Wait, so… Those things are real?" Oscar asked before remembering who he was talking too. Some god-like entities that can control reality. "Forget about that question."

The farm boy sank into his seat, looking embarrassed.

Ruby patted him on the head, "Don't worry. We all made that mistake before."

**Professor Broom got up and began to leave Hellboy's bedroom. **

**"What does it mean 'industrial?'" Hellboy asked the professor.**

"Ha! That reminds me of Ruby when she tried to speak as a baby." Tai fondly remembered those days. Back when… Summer was alive as well.

"Daaad." Ruby pouted.

**"Indestructible." The professor corrected him, "Means no one can destroy them. Go to sleep, my son."**

**Hellboy pulled out his toy revolver. It may seem odd, but he always felt comfortable sleeping with his revolver in hand. **

**"But it's just a story, right pops?" **

**Ominous chanting was now audible to the audience, foreshadowing that the Golden Army is very much real.**

"Yes. I am very certain..." Raven placed great emphasis on the word 'certain' as she angrily glared at Ozpin and his group. "that it's just a story."

Fairy tales, myths, legends – Many of it were real events that happened in Remnant. The Four Maidens, the Girl in the Tower, the Tale of Two Brothers. Raven hated that she was dragged into a world of giants. She made a choice she regretted, but can no longer take it back.

Qrow eyes flashed dangerously, shifting his eyes to leer threateningly at his sister.

The rest of Ozpin's circle shared Qrow's sentiment, but before any of them could react, the headmaster coughed into his fist.

"Let's not upset our Hosts now."

**"Is it now?"**

**"Yeah, come on. Those guys, they can't be real." Hellboy confidently said. **

**"Well, my son. I'm sure you'll find out."**

**The screen fades to black, ending the presentation.**

"Just like how all of you will find out." Raven bitterly remarked.

The story had opened an old wound. A wound that started everything: Abandoning her daughter, leaving Tai and the team, returning to the Branwen Tribe, fearing constantly for her life!

Vernal shrunk a bit in her seat, knowing that her leader is in a very foul mood.

Yang eyed her mother with an unreadable expression. There was definitely something that resulted in her mother abandoning her family. This must have been it. Whatever it is. Yang glanced at Ozpin and Qrow. They seem to know the reason behind it. She will have to ask them, or her mother herself.

"Raven…" Tai said softly.

"I don't want to hear it," Raven growled.

"Enough with this." Maria interrupted them. The elderly woman would have been rolling her eyes if she had one. "I don't want our Hosts smiting us over this soap opera drama."

"Indeed." Ozpin casually took a sip from his mug. "There's a time and place for all of this."

Everyone was starting to feel awkward by the situation. Not a single person said a word or risk escalating the problem. Fortunately, the Hosts intervened before things got even more uncomfortable.

_"The next screening will take place in an era rife with conflict. Culture clashes and imperialism reigned in this era. An era that was full of exploration and conquering. An era that was full of wars between cultures. An era before the World Wars. Do not fear, this viewing will not be as gruesome as the previous war you had witnessed."_

Oobleck pushed up his glasses, "Interesting, but morbid."

"Oh my." Maria frowned, "Is this the world where Grimm doesn't exist?"

"Wait, no Grimm?" Oscar repeated the question.

"That's what I just said, silly boy."

Nora giggled softly, "Silly boy…"

_"Indeed. This world holds no Grimm, no aura, no Dust, and no faunus. Prepare yourselves, for you shall be witnessing war once more. For some of you… It will be a first."_

"Here we go again." Jaune drew a steady breath.

Coco nodded, "Yeah, no kidding."

For some reason, Ruby was covering Oscar's eyes.

"Um… Ruby?"

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**NEXT:** **The Last Samurai - Final Battle**

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**Reaching the point where I will soon be taking requests through the review section and PMs. That said, I will also have others things in-between these other chapters as well. **

**It's not a promise. I still have a few more chapters to write.**

**Still trying to find subtitles of Saving Private Ryan, damn it.**

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**Pardon my grammar.**


	14. The Last Samurai - Final Battle

**I had to cut out the 'Final Charge' scene due to some complications.**

**The some translation and characters name weren't didn't show up, so I had to use the actor's real name.**

**Pardon my grammar.**

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**The Last Samurai - Final Battle**

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_"We shall provide you a very brief summary of the context. This conflict that has occurred in this particular universe is known as the Satsuma Rebellion, a rebellion that started during the Meiji Restoration era in a country called Japan. The rebellion was a revolt of disaffected samurai, a privileged caste of military nobility and officer. In attempts to modernize their country, military reforms rendered the samurai status obsolete, leaving many of them unemployed."_

"So, they revolted." Roman puffed on his cigar.

"Interesting. We had several small, but similar events happening back in the premodern eras." Oobleck wrote down the information the Hosts had given them. "It seems that this country called Japan shares some cultural characteristics with Mistral, at least in the southern regions."

_"In this universe, a revolt was organized by a samurai known as Lord Katsumoto Moritsugu. Upset that the pace of modern technology has eroded the traditions of their society, Katsumoto leads a revolt against the government. There is more to the story, but those interested will be able to understand more during our intermissions."_

"Many thanks." The history professor gratefully nodded.

"Ruby, stop pestering the farm boy." In the audience, Team RWBY was trying to pry Ruby's hand off of Oscar's eyes. "He said he's fine."

"Must. Protect. The. Child."

Tai chuckled, "Now she knows how I feel."

The theater darkened, starting the presentation.

**The setting takes place on lush green hills and plains. Two opposing forces stood on opposite ends of the battlefield. The Imperial Japanese Army against Lord Katsumoto samurai forces. **

**The Imperial Japanese Army lined their Howitzers on top of the hills, prepping them for firing while the samurai rebels stood impassively behind their bamboo barricades that offer no protection against artilleries. **

"I assume the people dressed in traditional armor and weapons are the samurais and the uniformed men wielding rifles are the government forces?" Oobleck asked the Hosts.

_"Correct. The Imperial Japanese Army was provided with training and supplies from foreign countries. Their army has been successfully modernized to the standards of that era."_

"Guess we all know who will win." Mercury betted his imaginary money on the Imperial Army.

Oobleck tapped on his notebook, "This reminds me of Atlas alliance with Mistral back before the start of the Great War."

Qrow scoffed, "What's it going to be, Ice Queen? Ya rooting for the conformities and reformation? Just like what Atlas did to their huntsman academy and Mistral back then?"

"I prefer to keep my views on this sort of topic neutral," Winter replied coldly.

**Mr. Omura, a businessman dressed a military uniform began ordering the soldiers to fire.**

**"Commence firing!"**

**A Japanese lieutenant translated the orders.**

**The howitzers open fire with a thunderous barrage.**

**The samurai remain impassive as artillery is stepped in closer, the range bracketed. A field artillery officer ordered the artillerymen to readjust their howitzers and before firing once more. This time, their artillery rounds will hit their mark.**

"Why aren't they moving?" Pyrrha asked.

Who would dare stand in the way of artillery shelling? With archaic armor and weapons to the boot!

"They certainly have balls of steel." Mercury agreed. These guys are either brave or stupid.

Glynda shook her head, "Don't tell me they're using archaic tactics."

"No… It looks like they're baiting them." Ironwood answered, "But it's a risky tactic with sacrifices to be made. They should have come up with a better strategy."

**Lord Katsumoto and former Captain Nathan Algren glanced at each other. Nathan nodded and glanced back at Murayama; it was time to cover their retreat. Murayama gave a signaled to a small group of cavalries with his gunbai fan. Four cavalrymen rode towards the straw-covered bamboo barricades with flaming torches on their hand.**

"They're burning down their barricades?" Blake was frowning at the odd tactic.

"I think they're trying to use the fire and smoke to cover their retreat." Jaune gave his thoughts about it.

**A field artillery officer gave the order to fire. Thunderous volleys and smoke filled the air. Their aim was spot on as artillery shells rained down upon the samurai forces. A few samurai were blown to pieces, forcing the rest to reel and retreat. **

**The cavalry rode in front of the straw-covered barricades, lighting it on fire with their torches. The flame and smoke will impede the army should they advance and hinder their sight. The samurais were now fully retreating, fleeing through the dirt path of the hillsides to take cover from the artillery fire.**

"An interesting strategy." Ozpin admits, "But a costly one seeing how many perished just now."

"Such a senseless waste of life," Glynda said sadly.

Raven snorted, feeling that the deputy's statement had an ironic ring to it. What's a greater senseless loss of life? She had one; sending others to fight a war against an immortal powerful being.

**Colonel Bagley and Omura watch through binoculars. **

**Bagley lowered his binoculars, "They're covering their retreat."**

**"You see? Even the mighty samurai cannot stand up to the Howitzers." Omura looked proud and smug. "Signal the attack." **

**"I advise sending in skirmishers first." The Colonel protested, looking through his binoculars. **

**However, Omura was confident that an infantry division is enough to crush the samurai rebellion. "Nonsense! Full attack!"**

**Bagley gave Omura an incredulous look. Nonetheless, the order must be followed.**

Oobleck, Ironwood, and Winter scoffed at Omura, feeling that this man was underestimating his opponents.

"This fellow reminds me of General Lagune." Oobleck mused.

Ironwood nodded, "I feel the same way. Is the man to the left the foreign advisor?"

_"Correct. That man is Colonel Bagley, a foreign military advisor. The one leading the Imperial Army is a businessman known as Omura."_

"WHAT?!"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa." Qrow raised a single hand up, "You're telling me, that a businessman is leading their army?"

"How is that even allowed?" Ironwood asked with a horrified expression. He would have night terrors if Jacques Schnee was ever allowed to take command of Atlas Military.

"Corruption?" Roman put out but was ignored. "Favoritism."

_"Perhaps favoritism. The Japanese Emperor has taken an interest in all things foreign. Therefore, Omura hired foreigners to satisfy the emperor's curiosity and modernized the country. He serves as a chief advisor for the Japanese Emperor, holding a considerable amount of power in their government."_

Qrow sneered, "Jeez, doesn't that remind you of a particular kingdom?"

That particular kingdom being Atlas under that shitty Jacques thumb. The president of the Schnee Dust Company had influences throughout most of the Atlas political spectrum. Which is why Atlas and Mantle is such a shithole for the lower class and faunus.

But that's just Qrow's view on things.

And no one really felt saying otherwise.

**An officer ordered the Imperial Army to march. The sound of marching boots crunches through the grass. Thousands upon thousand, the Imperial Army march relentlessly forward in strict formation.**

**On the other side, the samurais readied themselves, entering the trenches and taking cover behind wooden barricades with their bows and arrows.**

"They already have their positions fortified." Cinder said out loud, "This will be a difficult battle if the Imperial Army decided to advance through their position without a plan."

Winter nodded, "It will not be an easy fight for the Imperial Army, especially if their artillery is out of range or obstructed."

**The First Division of the Imperial Army moves through the smoking bamboo barricades and into the funnel, their numbers reduced by the size of the access. As they emerge into the open, they see another set of barricades, wooden this time. Behind the barricades, the samurai wait. The archers gripped their bows, ready to open fire, but they do not. They just wait.**

Ironwood shook his head. If they had listened to the advisor, the skirmisher would have been able to report that there was another set of defenses set up behind the hill. Intel was very important, and it beats marching an entire division into the unknown and greatly risks the lives of the soldiers.

**Nathan steadily rushes over to Katsumoto, "They're coming." **

**They could hear the sound of heavy marching over the hills. The Imperial Army quickly spread out horizontally in front of the wooden barricades that are within rifle range. The Imperial soldiers pointed their weapons and let out a fierce battle cry.**

"Are the barricades strong enough to withstand a volley?" Velvet asked to no one in particular.

Ruby had given up shielding Oscar and was watching warily, "I don't know what technology and propellant they used, so I don't think I can estimate the damage…"

"What? My weapon nerd sister finally uncertain about something related to weapons?" Yang faked a gasp, trying to lighten the mood.

"Oh, hush Yang."

**"Wait for the volley," Nathan said. **

**The Imperial Army was trained by American officers. Nathan was part of the officers who helped trained the Imperial Army. He knows all their procedures.**

"He seems to know their battle procedures." Cinder said.

_"This man is former Captain Nathan Algren. He once trained the Imperial Army. Therefore, knows of their tactics."_

Ironwood breathes deeply, "That's a huge tactical advantage."

Cinder smiled to herself at the general's statement.

**The first row of Imperial soldiers took aim and fired. Bullets begin splintering the barricades, hitting the samurais, injuring or killing them. The second rank moved up through the gaps of the first rank and fired another volley. More samurai falls.**

"Couldn't they find a better cover?" Ren crossed his arms tightly.

Jaune numbly shrugged, "I don't know, but these guys are really brave to hold their ground."

"Or too stupid," Roman muttered under his breath.

**With a roar, the Imperial Army moves closer. **

**Then, at Nathan's signal, a single archer lights a flaming arrow and fires. It flies over the heads of the Imperial Army and lands among a cache of flaming pitch hidden behind the firing line. A terrifying wall of flame erupted, cutting off their escape.**

**Few unfortunate soldiers were caught on fire, flailing widely to the ground. The marching columns of soldiers were forced to halt their advancement, unable to provide reinforcement for their soldiers until they found a way around the wall of flames or wait for the fire to die down.**

Cinder chuckled at the scene of soldiers burning to death while her minions shivered with fear. Death by immolation, not a pleasant way to go.

"So, that's what they were going after." Jaune gulped, "They were baiting them to come closer so they could cut off their escape and reinforcements."

**Thick smokes blanketed the air. It was visible to the field officers, but they couldn't evaluate the situation. **

**Through his binoculars, Bagley tried to peer through the smoke.**

**"What on earth?"**

**"What is happening?" Omura asked the colonel.**

Winter sneered, "You made a foolish, amateurish, and arrogant mistake, that's what happened."

"Yeesh, chill Ice Queen." Qrow rolled his eyes.

"Was that a pun?" Winter shot back, delighted that Qrow dropped his flask in horror. "I thought so."

"You go girl." Maria chuckled.

**The colonel didn't answer, for he was at loss for words. **

**The First Division of the Imperial Army was in disarray. Some were scattering, others were retreating, but the trapped soldiers didn't have a choice but to move forward. So, the Imperial soldiers pressed on.**

**As the soldiers marched, the archers drew their bows back and waited for the signal to fired.**

Oscar remained silent this entire time, quietly observing the battle while surprisingly not disturbed by the amount of death happening on-screen. This was the first time he watched someone die. Lots in this case, yet he remained impassive about it, only biting his lips at the tensed mood that was building on-screen.

"Time for their counterattack," Yang said.

Admittedly, this battle was less gruesome than the previous violence they had witnessed.

**Murayama ordered the archers to fire.**

**Finally, the Samurai fired! 500 arrows explode, instantly followed by 500 more. Like an image from Agincourt, the clouds of arrows sweep across the sky. Imperial soldiers are annihilated, their attack falters.**

"Oh man, I don't want to know how it feels to be shot by several arrows." Sun flinched as he watched the soldiers get turned into pincushions.

**Two signalmen appeared on top of the hill with a semaphore flag, waving it frantically. **

**Omura and Bagley lowered their binoculars upon seeing those flags. **

**"The attack has been stopped," Bagley stated flatly. **

**The Japanese businessman did not look very pleased by this turn of event. Since the samurais are putting up a decent resistant, they might as well overwhelm them with everything they have at their disposal.**

**"Send in the rest of the regiment," Omura ordered, earning him a disbelieving look from the colonel and the Japanese lieutenant.**

"Idiot!" Ironwood angrily growled at Omura, "Does he even have any military training?! All orders that came out of his mouth tells me otherwise!"

"Easy there, Jimmy." Qrow said cautiously, "Don't get work up on this."

"Good to see you quite passionate about this," Glynda remarked on the general's rare showcase of losing his cool.

Ironwood coughed into his fist, "Ahem. Forgive me. I just…"

**Back to the frontlines, the Imperial soldiers were constantly getting peppered by arrows. Their numbers rapidly dwindling. But these soldiers were merely a small section of an entire division. Soon, the rest of the Imperial Army will be marching down upon Lord Katsumoto's forces. **

**Knowing this, Katsumoto asked his friend, "What happened to the warriors at Thermopylae?"**

**Nathan grinned, "Dead to the last man."**

Oobleck raised an eyebrow, "A historical reference?"

_"Correct. You may know more during our intermissions."_

**They gave each other a knowing smile and unsheathed their blades. The samurais around them followed suit, and with a fierce war cry, the samurais rushed over the hills towards the Imperial Army. **

**The Imperial soldiers wasted no time and fired, felling many samurais. After expanding most of their ammo, the Imperial Army lowered their rifles and charged. With one last volley, the Imperial soldiers engaged the samurais, sword against bayonets, in brutal hand-to-hand combat.**

"I saw paintings depicting battles of the Great War." Weiss said with a tint of awe, "It's so… Uncanny."

Ironwood sighed, "War never changes."

Technology and tactics change, but the underlying principle remains the same. Everyone went silent as they watched two opposing forces finally met each other on the battlefield.

**Both sides crashed into each other in full force. **

**The samurais proved to be the greater fighter in melee, able to swiftly cut down their opponent and skillfully parry their attacks. **

**But the Imperial soldiers were not to be taken lightly. They've been trained well and held the numeric advantage over the samurais. A single direct hit from their rifle will most likely spell the end of anyone.**

It was a sad scene.

To Ozpin, that is. If his interpretation of the context were correct, it was a battle between people who shared the same country and cultural identity. A civil war so to speak. A battle fought between brothers, in a poetic sense; possibly fathers and sons.

And this battle that was playing out. It reminded Ozpin one of the many battles that took place during Remnant's Great War.

**Fighting alone, the Silent Samurai, also nicknamed 'Bob' by Nathan, slain two soldiers with a stroke of his katana. After dispatching his opponents, he watched Nathan dealt a finishing blow to a soldier. In the thick of battle, the Silent Samurai spotted a soldier taking aim at the former captain.**

**"Algren-san!" The Silent Samurai finally spoke for once. **

**The warrior ran in front of Nathan, fatally taking a bullet. **

**"Bob!" Nathan cried out.**

Ruby whimpered a bit, "No…"

"Are you alright, Ruby?" Penny asked her dear friend. Team RWBY also kept a close eye on the young girl's reaction, ready to comfort her if needed.

"I'm… Fine." Ruby turned to Oscar, "What about you?"

Oscar silently nodded.

"Did that man called him Bob?" Maria quietly muttered to herself.

**But the Silent Samurai willed himself to continue fighting, letting out a dying battle cry and charged towards the soldier, killing him with a single stroke. The dying warrior stood there for a few seconds before buckling to his knees, collapsing to the ground. Dead.**

"A true warrior till the end." Vernal could respect that.

"He fought selflessly and continued fighting even when he was on his last legs," Yatsuhashi said with admiration.

Velvet eyed her friend and teammate with slight fret.

Her team leader, Coco, made an unreadable expression, "Alright big guy. Just don't go dying on us like that."

A teammate dying was a prospect every team leader knew was possible and dreaded. Those incidents were uncommon for the younger years but more prevalent for the third and fourth years who would be taking up more dangerous missions.

**Nathan looked devasted by the loss of his guardian but continued fighting. **

**The battle raged on as Katsumoto parried a charging soldier's bayonet and ducked, throwing the soldier over his shoulder. He then fiercely swung his katana, knocking a rifle out of another soldier's hand and stabbed him in the guts.**

Raven watched the battle with mild interest. "It's obvious that these samurai are warriors who trained their entire life to fight." She narrowed her eyes, "They can put up a good fight, but there comes a point where numbers outweigh skills and strength."

These warriors called samurai were great fighters, able to fight off multiple inferior opponents. But the samurai were at a numeric and technological disadvantage. Each warrior lost is irreplaceable and Raven understands this better than most.

**The samurais were winning this engagement, but that may soon change as reinforcement has arrived for the Imperial Army. Nathan slaughtered a soldier by cutting his rifle in two and saw the army marching towards them. He returned his focus back to the battle and killed another soldier rushing towards him.**

"Reinforcements have arrived for the Imperial Army," Ren said softly.

**Three more soldiers raced towards Nathan, one managed to land a shot on his armored leg causing him to fall to one knee, Luckily, the bullet managed to not penetrate the skin. Nathan raised both katanas and blocked their attacks, managing to slit their throats. **

**In another area, Katsumoto was fighting against two Imperial soldiers, eliminating them with ease. However, his back was unfortunately turned at the wrong time, allowing a soldier to stab him through the side with his bayonet. **

**The samurai lord grunted in pain and grabbed the barrel of the rifle, pulling the soldier closer and killing his attacker.**

Tai grimaced a bit, "Damn. Pardon my language, but these guys really know how to fight on."

"It's an accumulation of training," Qrow answered, holding off on the drinks for the time being. "These guys have definitely been training all their lives to fight. They're warriors." The veteran huntsman turned his head slightly towards Ironwood. "The soldiers on the other hand…"

Ironwood took offense to that, "Do not dismiss the bravery of a soldier. Qrow."

"I ain't dismissing 'em, but your metal skull can't seem to –"

"Qrow." Glynda snapped, "We're not bringing this up again."

"You must really have your hands full babysitting these grown children." Maria conks Qrow over the head with her skull cane.

A bark of laughter could be heard from Tai, Raven, Winter, and Port.

Qrow grumbled by his treatment. Even with his semblance 'disabled', his luck was still bad.

**Imperial reinforcements have established themselves at the edge of the fighting, clashing with a group of samurai infantrymen who were attempting to delay the Imperial Army from reaching the battle. But their efforts were cut short, mowed down by a volley of fire.**

Glynda glanced over just in time to see Ironwood making a comeback to Qrow. She knew what would come out of Ironwood's mouth. Strength in numbers or something along those lines.

Whatever word was starting to form on Ironwood's lip died as Glynda gripped his arm with a cold look.

"James." She icily addressed the Atlesian general. "This isn't a dick measuring contest." Glynda hissed under her breath, "Stop antagonizing each other and watch."

Maria looked amused at Glynda's vulgar outburst and Ironwood's obedience.

**Nathan spun and redirected a soldier attack, stabbing the soldier in the stomach. He pulled the katana out of the soldier and delivered a back kick before analyzing their situation. The Imperial reinforcement had lined up at the edge of the battlefield, cutting down their opponents with a volley of bullets. **

**At this rate, the Imperial Army will have the upper hand. **

**Nathan called out to Murayama to send in their own reinforcement. The elderly samurai quickly raised his gunbai fan in the air and signal for the cavalry to make their appearance. **

**The thunderous galloping of a thousand horses shook the battlefield as Ujio lead the cavalry to support their forces, reinvigorating their allies with a fierce war cry. The rest of the cavalry followed suit, announcing their presence and terrifying their opponents.**

"Here comes the cavalry." Port twirled his mustache.

"So many horseys…" Nora quietly said, knowing well that these horses will be among the casualties.

**Katsumoto roared with approval and had a samurai signaled their reserved infantry to flank the Imperial Army reinforcement. **

**Waves of samurais carrying banners and weapons charged down from the hills and onto the mass of soldiers. The cavalry supported them, charging through the ranks, sowing chaos and panic amongst the Imperial ranks. **

Ironwood sagely nodded, "One of the oldest tactics in the book."

"And one that still works well to this day." Glynda eyed her students, "Always watch your surroundings, children."

"Yes, Professor Goodwitch."

**As they charged through, Ujio's horse was killed, dismounting the fierce warrior from his steed. Ujio tumbled and quickly rolled back to his feet, drawing his blade and swiftly cutting down his adversaries. Despite being outnumbered, he managed to cut his way through their ranks, even managing to snap a soldier's neck in his rampage. **

"This guy isn't pulling any punches," Vernal said with admiration.

"Hmm… This warrior appears to be the most skillful out of all we had seen so far." Ozpin remarked respectfully on Ujio prowess.

Jaune stared numbly at the carnage, "Whoa… And he's doing this without aura." His partner, Pyrrha, touched his arm gently; worried that Jaune will suffer another bout of self-deprecating. He turned and smiled, assuring her that he's fine. "I'm okay. Thanks."

**The scene flits through a series of samurais and soldiers brutally fighting each other, then to the entirety of the battlefield.**

Ozpin silently stared at the chaotic fighting, "Too much, does this remind me of the battles fought in the Great War."

"I… Never realized how large-scaled the battle was." Blake softly said.

Her teammates and friends numbly agreed. They were drawn into a small perceptive of the battle so much so that that they didn't recognize the greater extent of the battle.

"In combat, we tend to be in our own little world." Port wisely explained, "Which is why we teach all of our students to think outside of that little world." The professor leaned back in his chair, "All actions outside and inside that small bubble has its own impact."

"That's… Deep." Neptune managed.

"Was Professor Port always this philosophical?" Ren asked his teammates.

They merely shrugged.

**Casualties rise as the fighting rages on. Ujio continues to slaughter his way through the soldiers, never slowing down. Algren and Katsumoto now fight back to back, as if one person, slashing with their swords, shattering bayonets, dealing death on all sides.**

"Side to side." Sun lightly punched Neptune on the shoulder, "We should try that someday."

**As they dealt the finishing blow to their last opponents, the two warriors paused and watched the battle with a heartache expression. **

**All sound gradually fades and is replaced by the elegiac sound of a bamboo flute. The images of combat became fragmented and impressionistic. They may be winning, but no matter how bravely the samurai fight, they were simply outnumbered in the end.**

**And the cost… Their own people who shared the same national identity and culture. Their own brothers. They were bleeding and dying every second.**

"This rebellion… This battle. It's a cost that only their people will have to pay." Oobleck said sadly, "If I can recall, our Hosts stated that the reason for this rebellion is due to modern technology eroding the traditions of their society. The question is what kind of tradition are they fighting for?"

"Tradition should constantly be evolving." Winter brushed her hair to the side, "Certain tradition has been shown to hinder progress to the modern-day."

Oobleck nodded, "I won't argue with that…"

Ironwood let out an unhappy sigh. The sight of people sharing the same national identity killing each other is tragic. It runs parallel to Atlesian soldiers fighting against huntsmen who were born and raised in Atlas or Mantle. With the situation in Mantle deteriorating, this sort of scenario has already occurred.

**The tide begins to turn as Imperial soldiers ran out of ammunition, fumble with jammed weapons, cowering before the furious onslaught. Finally, a bugler issues a call and they stumbled back through the defile in a disorganized retreat. **

**Through their binoculars, Omura and Bagley witness their men fleeing from the battlefield. **

**"Son of a bitch thinks he can win," Bagley muttered to himself.**

"The samurais may have won the battle, but they might not win the war." Cinder analytically observed.

Winter nodded, "It would appear so."

**The retreating soldiers were chased down, but many of them were able to escape. Some were unfortunate enough to be still caught up in the fighting.**

**Ujio could be described as a whirlwind of death, blurring through his opponents without stopping. In his rampage, the warrior was unable to detect a lone soldier taking aim. The soldier fired, his bullet zipping clean through Ujio's armor and body. The fearsome samurai fell to his knee, planting his sword down on the ground to support himself.**

"How unfortunate." Raven casually said.

It wasn't uncommon for those to be too caught up in the fighting and be injured or killed. That's simply how life works.

**The soldier who fired the shot was kicked down by a samurai and finished off. The others rushed to aid Ujio, lifting and supporting him to his feet. **

**However, Ujio refused their help, violently jerking his shoulder. He snapped at them, telling him that he was fine. Seeing that their revered leader was fine, the other samurais let out a shout and resumed fighting. Ujio spat out blood and surveyed the battlefield. **

**The images of combat were still fragmented and impressionistic.**

"He's refusing medical treatment?" Pyrrha frowned, "But why?"

Jaune rubbed his neck, "Maybe he's too… Prideful?"

"He's a warrior." Raven answered, "They live to fight, and die. Life and death are an aspect they all accepted."

"Funny. I named my weapons Life and Death as well!" Maria interrupted, "Back when I was young, I had two kamas named Life and Death. They're now my cane." She shook her skull cane at them, "Well… One of them. I didn't need two."

_"Our apology for abruptly ending this viewing and discussion, but there is something interesting happening in another world. One that is quite destructive."_

"How destructive?" Ozpin asked warily.

_"It may unsettle some of you."_

Penny fiddled with her hand, "That sounds reassuring."

Ironwood and Winter looked at Penny quizzically, had the android finally learn sarcasm?

_"Hold your questions for the moment, they will be answered soon."_

"Our Hosts have quite a hobby." Maria mused, pondering deeply about what the Hosts really are. No one knows much about them. "Violence seems to interest our Hosts. Am I right?"

_"There are some among your Hosts, that finds conflicts interesting."_

That raised some serious questions.

_"Rest assure, this next one will be quite short."_ The Hosts said, _"The fighting that has occurred in the other reality is about to be over. Afterward, we may return to more… Lighthearted viewings."_

Everyone braced themselves as the next screening plays.

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**NEXT:** **Godzilla: King of Monsters - Final Battle**

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**Pushing some requests already, but they will be mixed in with what I had already planned. **

**Also, I don't mind doing anime and manga. I might have to do some research, but I shouldn't really mind it all too much. Still... R****esearching is such a pain at times when it doesn't give you much to work on.**

**Please be patient. I have a lot of requests and planned chapters that I will be mixing in.**

* * *

**Pardon my grammar, spelling, and sequences description.**

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**Another Note: I have posted some Concepts on my Profile page. If you're interested in what they are, come and check them out.**


	15. Godzilla: KOTM - Final Battle

**This was a hard chapter. Lots of research and stuff.**

**Also, life is such a pain since I am a college student.**

**EDIT: Fixed a sentence being bold. Thank you whoever pointed that out.**

* * *

**Be patient with your requests. I will be putting in my own and others into this series in a timely manner.**

**Pardon my grammar.**

* * *

**Godzilla: King of the Monsters - Final Battle**

* * *

_"We shall return to the previous screening at a later time. For now, we shall witness a world in peril."_

Ozpin lowered his mug, "In peril?"

"I don't like this already." Ruby pouted, hating the recent screenings they had been watching.

"Bear with it, Rubes." Yang said softly, "It'll be over soon."

The room darkens, starting the screening.

**The scene cuts to a destroyed city in ruins. Rubbles and collapsed buildings were littered as far as the eyes can see. The rain didn't do much to extinguish the flames caused by the destruction. The destruction that was committed by the three-headed titan known as King Ghidorah.**

"Off to a dark start already." Coco quipped.

"The cities are in ruins, what happened here?" Winter asked quietly.

**Madison Russell slowly picked herself up from the ground and took up the "Orca", a device that can emit frequencies to attract or alter Titan behavior. She slowly turned to look up and saw that King Ghidorah, the three-headed tyrant was staring down at her.**

"What…?" Port gasped.

Everyone froze at the sight of the titan. It was larger than any recorded Grimm in existence, and it emulated power. A power that not even the combined might of any Grimm in Remnant is capable of matching. This beast appeared to be on a whole new level.

"What the hell is that?!" Vernal yelped at the sight of the massive three-headed monster.

_"That is King Ghidorah. The current alpha and king of the titans."_

Blake's ears folded in terror. "K-king?"

"You mean there's more?" Ruby asked weakly.

_"You shall see."_

**And it was this particular device that caught the three-headed monster's attention. **

**Madison threw the beeping device into the rubbles, holding herself with both hands while on her knees. One of King Ghidorah's head lowered itself down near the ground and snorted as the device beeped on. The tyrant let the device drone on before smashing it, shockwaves sweeping through the ground.**

Penny eyes narrowed at the Orca device but didn't say anything.

"Why is such a young girl there in the first place?!" Tai would have gotten a heart attack if any of his daughters were near such a dangerous monster.

Cinder watched King Ghidorah with awe and slight fear. The massive creature might serve as an inspiration to her mistress. She calmly regained her composure and wrote down the description of the three-headed monster.

**Even with King Ghidorah standing in front of her, Madison bravely picked herself up from the ground and shakily stood to face the tyrant. But the king of monsters had enough and readied itself to vaporize the human girl, its long neck started to glimmer with crackling yellow light, glowing brighter and brighter.**

"What's it doing?" Jaune whispered.

Ren gulped, "It looks like its charging up something."

**Madison shakily sucks in her breath and accepted her faith. **

**Yellow lightning crackled in the rainy skies, illuminating the majestic titan in its glory. Rearing all three of his head, King Ghidorah was ready to fire his Gravity Beam as yellow lights started to pour out from his mouth. Even in the face of death, Madison remained defiant and let out a shrill cry of anger directed at the titan.**

"I can't watch." Ruby whimpered.

"Get out of there!" Tai shouted, knowing that the girl can't hear him.

Roman gripped his hand, "I think that's impossible."

There's no way an ordinary young girl like the one on-screen was capable of fleeing from a monster that massive and powerful. Heck, even trained huntsman and huntress might not survive an encounter.

"She's brave." Maria shakily sighed, fearing for the young girl's life. 'Much braver than me.'

**But before King Ghidorah could fire his Gravity Beam, a massive blue beam struck the three-headed monster sending the king crashing into several buildings. King Ghidorah let out a shriek at the and faced his attacker.**

The adults breathed out a sigh of relief.

"What… Just happened?" Sun asked, but the next scene answered his question.

**Godzilla has arrived. **

**Each footstep the giant monster took jolted the ground. The sky now had blue lightning streaking overhead to counter to the king. Godzilla announced his presence with a loud and powerful roar that could be heard throughout the fallen city.**

"Good gods… Another one." Glynda bit her lips.

**Madison couldn't help but smile, silently thanking the titan for saving her.**

"Is… Is that thing on their side?" Emerald asked the Hosts.

"_Correct. That is Godzilla."_

"Godzilla?"

Ozpin raised an eyebrow, "Why is it helping the humans?"

_"King Ghidorah does not originate from this planet. He hails from another world and seeks to terraform their planet to his needs. Godzilla is defending his home."_

"Three-headed monster is an alien?!" Nora gasped.

_"Correct."_

"Does that mean others like him exist in our universe?" Ironwood said with a solemn face.

Qrow rubbed his face, "Oi, don't jinx it, please. I don't want to know."

The huntsman does not want his semblance getting any sort of horrible ideas.

_"Possibly, but the chances of one invading Remnant is extremely unlikely."_ The Hosts response didn't make anybody feel better.

**In the skies and ocean, military warplanes and warships flanked Godzilla's side. The massive monster has sided with the in order to protect his and their home from King Ghidorah. The humans will be laying down covering fire to distract King Ghidorah while Godzilla will do his best to take down the tyrant.**

Ironwood mused, "So that's the military in their world." He analyzed the vehicles and weapons they used, "Even with those titans roaming their world, the humans were still able to advance to an impressive level."

"Though some of their vehicles seemed old fashioned compared to Atlas," Winter noted.

"I'm surprised anything is able to develop with those giant monsters around." Sun's tail coiled nervously.

Neptune agreed, "No kidding."

**"Okay. We zeroed in on the last ping from the Orca. Fenway Park, dead ahead. We'll lay cover fire to keep Ghidorah distracted."**

**"Copy that."**

**More warplanes came into view, aiming all their weapons at King Ghidorah.**

**"Colonel, all squadrons are locked on target."**

**An Asian woman with short let out a steady breath, "For Serizawa."**

Ironwood clenched his armrest, "They're attacking, but from the sound of it; their weaponry won't do much."

"But every small effort can change the outcome," Ozpin replied, holding his mug tightly.

**The human army attacked, firing their missiles at the three-headed monster. Several bright orange explosions rocked King Ghidorah but did nothing to impede the tyrant. If anything, these missiles were nothing more than a minor annoyance to the titan.**

"How strong is that thing?" Port asked, "If pitted against every weapon and beings in Remnant?"

_"You will barely hurt it. Even if you do, King Ghidorah is capable of quickly regenerating his body. Even his heads could be regrown within minutes."_

Everyone was stunned silent. Even the head?

"T-that's impossible! Or is it? Alien biology… Is that…?" Oobleck seemed to break down a bit before Port helped the man calm down with some coffee.

**Madison watched the military continue to pepper King Ghidorah with missiles before remembering that she was in the dead center of where the two titans would clash. She quickly turned to flee from the upcoming battle as Godzilla got closer.**

"Smart girl," Roman muttered and Neo agreed.

**The heavy fire support slowly died down, their weaponry running dry. Still, the military continued to fire all available weapons at King Ghidorah, but their meager weaponry did nothing to the tyrant. **

**It was time for Godzilla to make its move.**

**The two titans glared and snarled at each other, eager to settle their grudges once and for all. With a sky-piercing roar, Godzilla charged to meet his nemesis. King Ghidorah roared out his response and flapped his massive wings, surging towards his long-time foe.**

"Oh boy." Oscar hugged himself tightly.

Meanwhile, Cinder was quietly taking notes. Her finger faltered a bit as she watched the massive monsters charged towards each other.

**Their collision shook the ground and air. An epic battle between Godzilla and King Ghidorah has commenced.**

Mercury bounced his knees restlessly, swearing that he could feel the shockwave from here.

"I would hate to live in that world. The Grimm is already enough for me."

Emerald nodded, "You and me."

**Back on one of the warplanes, its inhabitants took note of the battle.**

**"Is it just me, or... has he been working out?" Godzilla appeared to be faring well against King Ghidorah than before.**

**"You kiddin' me? Serizawa's got that lizard juiced!" Dr. Rick Stanton chirped.**

**A shaved, dark skin lady known as Colonel Diane stared at the battle numbly. "Damn right."**

"What does that mean?" Ruby asked her sister, "Juicing or something…"

"I think they made that Godzilla monster stronger or something."

"It already looks strong enough," Fox mumbled to himself.

**But that's not exactly a good thing as they would soon find out. Their sensors let out a warning beep, prompting Rick to check the sensors. The interface started highlighting very brightly while the battle between Godzilla and King Ghidorah raged on.**

**"Oh, boy. Godzilla's radiation levels are goin' through the roof. We got about 12 minutes before he goes thermonuclear."**

"That sounds bad." Penny stating the obvious.

**"What do you mean?" Diane shouted.**

**The warplane shook violently from the ensuing battle. **

**"I'm saying, in about 12 minutes, it's gonna be a bad day to be a Red Sox fan."**

Nora scratched her head, "I don't get the joke."

"It's something from their universe Nora, and you're crushing my hand." Ren tried to pry her powerful hands off of his.

"Sorry."

**"Okay, guys, you need to find the Orca, get Madison and get the hell outta there! Whatever Serizawa did to Godzilla worked a little too well, cause he's about to explode like an atom bomb."**

"Atom bomb?" Ironwood frowned, "The name contradicts the implication."

_"An atom bomb is quite powerful. One is capable of destroying entire cities."_

Nobody said anything about that. There's just too much mind-blowing things happening right now.

**The scene cuts to a squad of military personnel on a tiltrotor aircraft listening in on their orders.**

**"Roger that. Prepare for landing!" **

**They watched Godzilla threw King Ghidorah back, tearing up the ground as the tyrant dug its claws into the earth to catch itself. Were they really going to wade through the city looking for the Orca and Madison while the two titans fight?**

"Those soldiers are very brave." Winter wished them the best of luck.

"Indeed."

Everyone nodded in agreement.

_"The humans play a small, but important role. Still, we shall be focusing on the titans for this screening."_

**The scene continues to the fighting between Godzilla and King Ghidorah. The massive monsters savagely slashed and bit one another with unrelenting fury. **

**Godzilla grappled the three-headed beasts with his hand and pushed them back, raising an arm in an attempt to swipe at one of King Ghidorah's head. But the center head acted fast, biting Godzilla in the neck like a snake strike. The rest of the heads followed suit, chomping down their nemesis's shoulder to restrain him.**

"Oh jeez." Yang winced and tried to lighten the mood, "That's a pain in the neck."

No one commented on that, too glued to the battle.

**King Ghidorah flapped its wings, dragging Godzilla up into the air and threw him into the ground, obliterating any unfortunate objects in their vicinity. **

**The three-headed tyrant mercilessly tears at Godzilla's throat, but Godzilla was not down for the fight yet. He channeled the radiation within his body, starting up his atomic breath. A gurgling noise followed by a loud honking-like sound started to emit from Godzilla's body.**

"What's that sound?" Jaune asked and was quickly answered as he continued watching.

**King Ghidorah reeled one of his head back, but it was too late. A steady beam of bright blue energy blasted the tyrant back. However, Godzilla's Atomic Breath didn't cause significant damage to King Ghidorah and eventually, the king held his ground despite taking the full brunt of Godzilla's attack.**

Coco scratched her hand, "Does all giant monsters there breathed out fire?"

_"Some. Godzilla's is known as Atomic Breath. King Ghidorah's is Gravity Beams."_

"Gravity Beams? That sounds cool." Jaune muttered.

**Things looked grim for Godzilla, the king stood stands and was quickly recovering. This battle wasn't going well for the giant beast. That is until a faint pulsing sound could be heard from the clouds above. Red and blue hues colored the gray clouds overhead. **

**Suddenly, a flash of bright blue light erupted from the sky! Mothra burst into the scene to assist Godzilla, letting out a screech to distract King Ghidorah.**

"Gah! Giant bugs!" Said Neo's sign.

"How many are there in this world?" From the looks of it, the humans were powerless to stop a single one of them from rampaging across their city. Ozpin felt that the Hosts were right. This world is in peril more so than theirs.

_"There are seventeen noticeable ones. The rest could be described as insignificant compared to their presence."_

"That's not a lot. I think…" Yang said.

Then again, seeing how massive and destructive these creatures are. It could be said that it's a blessing that there's only seventeen for the time being.

**The three-headed tyrant turned his attention to the interloper, but Mothra had already spewed her silk web onto all three of his head, ensnaring them into a nearby building.**

Ozpin slowly drank from his cup and finished it. "Looks like this one is fighting for its home as well."

**King Ghidorah struggled to free himself for Mothra's silk web. Only one of its head, whom the humans nicknamed 'Ni', managed to free itself. Ni glared at the moth-like monster soaring overhead, watching her beautiful wings change color in flight before trying to free his remaining fellows' head from the silk web.**

"It's beautiful." Glynda watched in awe.

Mothra's wings was an eyecatcher to the audience. There was something about her wings that's indescribably beautiful and luring.

**As Ni set to work, ripping out a few silks for the center head; Godzilla was quickly closing in on King Ghidorah. Ni turned around and snarled at Godzilla, trying to defend himself from the rushing titan, failing spectacularly. Godzilla bulldozed King Ghidorah through the massive building bringing it crumbling down, finally managing to knock the three-headed tyrant down. **

**Seeing that he was at a disadvantage, King Ghidorah let out a roar summoning Rodan, the giant magma Pteranodon. The cloudy skies turned dark orange as Rodan answered the call of his king, bursting from the clouds and attacking Mothra.**

Cinder's mind went blank for a brief moment while she writes. "A giant flaming bird?"

**The two airborne titans screeched at each other and fought, unintentionally taking down a military plane in the process. The humans below scattered to make way for the rampaging titans, avoiding the collapsing buildings and warplanes.**

Ironwood and Winter silently offered their condolences to the brave pilots and soldiers on board the warplanes. They hoped that no one would have to do something as dangerous as the soldiers on-screen.

**The battle was intensifying with four massive beasts fighting one another. **

**But none was fiercest than the clash between King Ghidorah and Godzilla. The city erupted into flames in the fight. Godzilla slammed one King Ghidorah's head into an office building, setting off several gas pipes that exploded upon impact.**

Pyrrha shrunk back a bit, watching the monsters fight and the humans flee. "I can't imagine what it's like living there."

Large Grimm can easily tear through a settlement and poorly defended cities, but they can't level buildings like the monsters on screen, much less act like living siege weapon. Even a herd of Goliaths pale in comparison.

"Oh god." It sounded strange, but even Jaune was glad they had Grimm instead of these things back in Remnant.

**As Godzilla grabbed one of King Ghidorah's head, the other head turned his attentions towards an electric powerplant that was sparking. **

**A source of power.**

"Uh oh…" Nora knew where this was going.

Her semblance allows her to enhance her strength should she come into contact with electrical energies. It was blatantly obvious the same could be said for King Ghidorah.

"I don't like that look its giving." Qrow didn't want to stay sober, but he knew that he'll be remembering this even if he's drunk.

Everyone gulped.

Cinder ceased writing and watched what the tyrant would do next.

**The tyrant opened its mouth and bit down on the sparking powerplant, empowering itself with electricity. The air started crackling, yellow bolts snake through King Ghidorah's entire body, taking in all the power the faculty has to offer.**

"It's charging up." Cinder whispered.

**Letting out a mighty bellow, the three-headed tyrant showed the world why he is king.**

**King Ghidorah discharged all his electrical currents to his surroundings, covering the ground and skies with searing yellow bolts of lightning. **

**Electricity bounced to warplanes to warplanes, warships to warships, wiping out nearly all of the human's military powers and forcing Godzilla to stagger back. The tyrant then spread its wings out to its full length, flaunting his pride and power.**

"It… It really d-does live up to its title as king." Surprisingly, it was Raven who shakily commented on the scene.

The strong rules over the weak, and this proves her view further. Despite that, Raven's word was empty. She was shocked at the might King Ghidorah was capable of. It wasn't just her; everyone was stunned by the level of destruction King Ghidorah had unleashed, most had their jaws slightly unhinged.

"Roughly 98% of the human's forces appeared to be rendered nonfunctional." Penny nervously estimated the damage done by King Ghidorah.

Ironwood and Ozpin had a graved look on their faces. It was as Raven said. There's a reason why it is called King Ghidorah and not Ghidorah. It looked and acted like its invincible.

"I shudder to imagine what it could do with Dust." Weiss squeezed her teammate's hand to calm herself, not caring about the image she made for herself. "Especially if it gets a hold of a Dust mine."

Glynda shook her head, "Awful. I don't want to imagine that."

**The battle had reached critical levels, forcing the surviving humans to flee. This battle can only be resolved through the titans themselves. **

**Regardless, victory seems to be skewed towards King Ghidorah.**

**Overhead, Mothra was losing her battle against Rodan, colliding into a solid building and pinned down by the scorching Rodan. The flying Pteranodon's very presence set nearby buildings and Mothra's wing alight with his burning body, crippling the queen of monsters.**

Sun winced and held his tail close, "I know several faunus with wings. They told me that it's one of the most sensitive parts of their bodies. I can't imagine…"

Every faunus in the room winced, feeling their animal features instinctively.

**Mothra let out a painful screech and slashed Rodan with her two-bladed arms, temporary forcing the flaming beast back and giving her some breather. **

**Slowly climbing up the building, Mothra crawled with her back to the building to the top of the tower, her mandibles chittering. In the skies, Rodan spread his wings out in full length and dived towards Mothra once more. The tower rumbled and groaned, somehow able to remain standing from the fight. **

**Rodan went in for the kill, snapping his beak at Mothra's head, missing as she leaned her head to the right, then left. Having enough, Rodan straightens his head and barreled down, his beak nearly crushing Mothra's head.**

**SHEEC!**

Qrow flinched, "That's not a good sound."

**The sickening crunch could be heard. Rodan suddenly went stiff, beak still wide open and frozen just meters from Mothra. **

**Mothra's stinger has punched through his chest.**

"That's a big stinger." Jaune couldn't help but think back to the time Cardin wanted him to unleash Rapier Wasps on his partner. He was glad that things eventually worked itself out, but the scene fished out a rather unpleasant memory.

"Moths don't have stingers." Neo made a face as she lifted her sign said, "Do they?"

Coco shivered, "I already hate moths for laying larva that eats clothes. I hate to imagine one with a stinger hanging around to protect its nest!"

**Flickers of embers could be seen from Rodan's wound as he let out a stiff whimper. Mothra pulled out her stinger and pushed the flaming Pteranodon's off the tower, watching him shriek while he fell to the burning city below. **

**With Rodan defeated, Mothra tried to join up with Godzilla but was unable to fly nor stand due to her injuries. She let out a painful whimper and rested on the tower while Rodan continued screaming below.**

"That burning creature is still alive?" Cinder was surprised at the amount of damage these monsters can withstand. Combined with their destructiveness, Cinder has effectively ditched her notes for fear that if her mistress was capable of creating Grimm with these sorts of capabilities, she would have no use for Cinder and others. It was unlikely, but still, it's unappealing. "How much damage can these… Titans withstand?"

_"More than one would like."_

"That's scary…" Emerald whispered to herself.

**It's just King Ghidorah and Godzilla now.**

**The two titans faced off with one another, glaring intently as they waited for their nemesis to make a move. This time, King Ghidorah is going on the offense, taking to the skies and slamming down onto Godzilla with their claws. Godzilla was sent sliding back then, slowly ascending as the three-headed tyrant dragged his nemesis to the skies.**

"Holy shit…" Qrow ignored his niece's protest of the swear word, but he couldn't help it.

And they couldn't blame him.

"That thing looked like it weighed more than the winged creature! How is it able to carry it to the skies?!" Port yelped.

Professor Port wasn't a man easily shaken, aside from rats… But this demonstrated why the other titans feared and obey King Ghidorah.

"Is there anything it can't do?" Glynda cynically asked with tint desperation.

**Godzilla roared and struggled to break free, but the King Ghidorah's center head has constricted the monster's head, rendering Godzilla temporarily unconscious. King Ghidorah continued to drag his nemesis high to the sky and dropped him. **

**As Godzilla fell, his body started to catch fire from the friction, falling to the earth like a burning asteroid.**

Mercury gulped, "That thing has got to be dead."

At that height and burning entry, not even the toughest Grimm could survive that. Then again, those monsters are not Grimm.

**The humans numbly watched Godzilla fall before striking the earth in a blue explosion, shattering the ground and kicking debris into the air. Not far from the fallen Godzilla, King Ghidorah descended to the ground, obliterating two buildings that were in his way. **

**The king eyed his nemesis and let out a roar in triumph.**

"Oh man." Neptune's heart was racing with anxiety. "This guy is king of the other monsters? No wonder they listen to this guy."

"It's the law." Vernal meekly said.

**Godzilla groaned and turned his head to see that it was Mothra coming to his side.**

"It's still alive. Even after all of that." Velvet rabbit ears have made itself as small as possible.

**Despite being injured, she was determined to see Godzilla survive this ordeal, letting out a shrill cry. Spreading out her wings, Mothra covered Godzilla protectively. Her ruined wings brightened and flickered in a mesmerizing manner.**

"So pretty…" Ruby murmured.

Coco numbly nodded, "It really is."

**She screeched and charged towards King Ghidorah, her brightly lit wings shimmered amongst the ruined landscape. Mothra snarled as she drew closer to King Ghidorah, knowing that she wouldn't survive this encounter. The three-headed tyrant responded by raising himself to his full height and started to incinerate Mothra with his Gravity Beam. **

**Taking in the blast at full volume, Mothra clung through for several brief seconds, letting out one final shriek before disintegrating over Godzilla.**

"That's its Gravity Beam?" Ozpin asked the Hosts regarding King Ghidorah's lightning-like breath attack.

_"Correct."_

"It's not electricity?" Nora was currently lacking her typically upbeat demeanor. The destruction on screen brought back too many unpleasant memories.

_"Despite its appearance, it is named labeled Gravity Beams for a reason."_

**The remains of Mothra powdered down on Godzilla healing and powering the massive beast.**

"What did it do?" Pyrrha asked, mourning for Mothra. She couldn't help but feel slightly bad for the moth monster.

_"You all shall see."_

**Godzilla let out a mournful cry and went limped, allowing King Ghidorah to prowl over to his fallen nemesis. All three of his neck wrapped themselves around Godzilla like boa constrictors, relishing their victory. With their nemesis severely weaken, they were free to absorb his powers, biting down on the massive monster. **

Glynda's eyes widen, "It's absorbing its powers?!"

_"Correct. King Ghidorah gains energy from eating his victims along with their spirits."_

Everyone went silent.

"I'm… Sorry. Did you just say that this monster can eat souls?!" Ren looked like he was about to have a freakout. Everyone did.

Yatsuhashi appeared to be shellshocked, "That's…"

"Horrifying." Ozpin grimly nodded.

"Better the Grimm you know." Roman weakly said.

"You said it." Qrow leaned back in his chair, looking haunted. "No amount of drinks is going to make me forget this."

Maria shook her head, "This old lady is going to have a heart attack."

**Godzilla is losing. Should he fall, no one would be able to oppose King Ghidorah. **

**The humans cannot let that happen and immediately set to work on the broken Orca device to distract King Ghidorah. In the background, Godzilla roared in pain as King Ghidorah continued to drain him of his energy. The three-headed tyrant glowed brightly with each bite, his strength increasing by margins.**

Ruby turned and asked Penny, "What are they doing?"

"I think…"

**But all was not lost, for the device was finally repaired. A scientist by the name of Dr. Emma Russell turned it on and increased the Orca frequency irritating King Ghidorah. The tyrant let out an angry roar and dropped Godzilla, now fully determined to put an end to that infuriating device and the humans who wield it.**

"Ah! So that's what it does!" Penny exclaimed.

Everyone turned towards Penny.

"What did that device do?" Winter asked the android girl.

Penny happily pointed out what the Orca does. "That device emits a frequency that appears only those titans can hear. It must have some profound effects on them."

_"You are correct. This device is called the Orca. It can attract or alter a Titan's behavior, though it does have its limitations."_

"That's a useful device." Ironwood mused at the thought of scientists being able to create a similar device to work on the Creatures of Grimm. He quickly wrote it down and stored it away.

"Indeed." Ozpin nodded and steadily sipped hot chocolate from his mug.

**King Ghidorah tore through the city and caught sight of the humans about to enter a military tiltrotor airplane. **

**Dr. Emma paused and glanced at her husband and daughter knowing that if she took the device with her, the rest of the crew on board would be put in danger. One of them has to lug the device around to distract King Ghidorah long enough for Godzilla to recover.**

**That person will be her. She turned and fled towards a jeep, leaving behind her daughter screaming for her to come back.**

Ruby nearly teared up at this scene, remembering her deceased mother.

"Are you okay?" Oscar and Penny asked unilaterally.

Her teammates got the signal and hugged their team leader in silence.

"I'm… I'm okay."

**Getting into the jeep, Emma started up the engine and drove off, catching the attention of King Ghidorah who immediately gave chase. Her friends and family watched with dread as the three-headed monster ripped through the city, seeking to put an end to the nuisance. **

**King Ghidorah took to the skies and rained destruction from above, giving Emma a few close encounters with death. But still, she managed to weave through the destruction, evading King Ghidorah's attempt to kill her. **

**However, her luck will soon wear out and the combined blast from the tyrant's Gravity Beams knocked the jeep upside down. The impact somehow dislodged Emma from her car, leaving her out in the open.**

Velvet took a steady breath and continued to watch on.

"Oh no…" Ruby whimpered.

"A valiant move and sacrifice." Ozpin quietly said, feeling his slightly guilty about the things he did in his lifetime. The mistakes and sacrifice of him and others had made.

**King Ghidorah landed and inspected the human with three of his head. As the three-headed tyrant drew near the human, they failed to recognize the familiar stomping from the distance.**

"Do you guys hear that?" Jaune softly asked his teammates.

Pyrrha nodded, "I think I do."

**Emma smiled, knowing that she had done her job well when she heard the strange honking sound that's well associated with Godzilla himself. The noise caught King Ghidorah's attention and they swiveled their head to see what was coming their way. **

**Godzilla is back, his entire body was glowing orange and red. **

**The intense heat from Godzilla's body puts Rodan to shame. The metal structures that still remained in the city burst into flames and liquified; buildings turned bright orange and melted under the intense heat that was emitting from Godzilla's body even though he was far from touching it.**

"Holy…"

"Oh my…"

Cinder shuddered a bit despite burning many people to death in her life.

Yang gulped, "Things are really… Heating up."

"You Hosts are going to get this poor old lady killed." Maria snidely remarked at the Hosts.

_"Our apologies."_

**He opened his mouth and roared at King Ghidorah, challenging him once more. King Ghidorah turned and face Godzilla, accepting his challenge with a shrill cry. **

**Squaring off, Godzilla's body started glowing very bright, electricity rippled through his dorsal fin, charging up his Nuclear Pulse. **

**The strange honking sound grew louder, and Godzilla unleashed the destructive force of his Nuclear Pulse. Somewhere in the blast, Mothra's faint cry and wing patterns could be seen from the pulse as it engulfs the area in an orange heat blast.**

"It's that moth's pattern." Coco gasped.

Velvet nodded, "I heard its cry as well…"

**King Ghidorah shielded himself with his wings as the pulse rippled through his position, searing off his wings, leaving nothing but the skeletal structure behind.**

"Good gods…" Glynda stared numbly at the damage dealt, "Just one hit? None of their attacks earlier even damaged its wings."

"It must have been empowered after absorbing that moth monster ashes." Winter felt her mouth dried instantly.

**The three-headed tyrant fell back, shrieking in pain but quickly steadied himself and backed away from Godzilla, firing his Gravity Beams which did nothing against Godzilla. The hulking monster calmly strode towards the tyrant, ignoring the Gravity Beams that rippled through his body. **

**Charging up his Nuclear Pulse once more, Godzilla absorbed the Gravity Beams that King Ghidorah unintentionally provided and unleashed another pulse. This time, the Nuclear Pulse disintegrated King Ghidorah's two heads, leaving only the center head behind.**

"Damn… Just… Damn." Tai and Raven mumbled.

**King Ghidorah let out a painful roar and fell on his back in a moment of weakness. **

**It was all that Godzilla needed. **

**Walking forth, Godzilla planted his searing foot on King Ghidorah's chest and crushed it. Sparks of lightning poured out of King Ghidorah consuming the fallen king slowly as the area lit up in a blinding light, forcing everyone to shield their eyes.**

Mercury's arm twitched at the brutal sight. "What a horrible way to die."

"It's… Going to explode." Oscar mindlessly said. His mind was in a current state of shock since he's just a farm boy.

**King Ghidorah let out one final cry as the outpouring of energy could no longer contain itself and exploded, taking a large part of the city with him. **

**The magnificent light and explosion soon faded out of existence, leaving only ruins behind.**

"Whoa." Nora's eyes brighten a bit just by looking at the devasting explosion.

**Everyone silently agreed.**

**Everything was silent. **

**But somewhere in the rubbles of the destroyed city, a creature emerges! It's King Ghidorah!**

"No! It's still alive?!" Yang yelped in horror.

Vernal couldn't help but voiced her agreement as well. "How?!"

**Or at least, what remains of the former king. Only his neck and head remained, still functioning as normal. What was once a proud titan has been reduced to a literal figurehead, screeching in agony while Godzilla slammed King Ghidorah into a nearby building, intending to finish him off.**

"I'm going to be sick." Jaune felt a bit nauseous but kept his lunch in as Pyrrha rubbed his back.

"Shit. The guy has been turned into a literal figurehead." Tai swallowed his salvia.

"H-hey… Nice one." Yang weakly said, also sickened by the brutality she was witnessing.

Ruby and Oscar had their eyes covered, though it was a bit too late. They might require some counseling after this, at least, that's what Penny and Team RWBY thinks.

**The strange honking sound started to emit from Godzilla, his dorsal fins and jaws glowed dark neon blue, building up his Atomic Breath. **

**King Ghidorah let out a weak cry as he was slowly roasted inside out, his head smoking and ablaze with blue radiation. Aiming the former tyrant into the sky, Godzilla fired his Atomic Breath, disintegrating King Ghidorah, finally killing the tyrant once and for all.**

Roman threw away his cigar with a green face. "That monster just turned his opponent into his personal cigar. That's another level of wrong. I am quitting smoking."

Even Neo and Cinder shivered in fear at the gruesome execution of King Ghidorah.

**The humans, witnessing this scene were stiff and awed by Godzilla's stature. **

**Rick winced, "Jesus… Glad he's on our side."**

"No shit," Coco muttered.

"Swear."

**"For now,…" Dr. Chen whispered. **

**"… Look…" Madison rasped when she saw the other titans approaching Godzilla. **

**The ground rumbled as more titans entered the ruined city.**

"Oh god, there's more." Jaune gasped, "I forgot that there's more."

"Are… They going to fight?" Nora whispered.

The city was already completely destroyed. At this rate, the monsters might even destroy the entire world.

Ren stroked her hair to calm the girl down. "I… It's okay Nora."

**Godzilla turned and faced them. The first two were titans known as Behemoth and Scylla. Behemoth is a giant wooly mammoth-like beast, while Scylla is a spider-squid hybrid monster. Another titan known as the MUTO (Massive Unidentified Terrestrial Organism) joined them, and lastly Rodan who landed down with an earthshaking stomp.**

"That burning bird monster is alive and well," Sun grumbled.

"Yeah, those monsters are tough" Blake agreed.

The Creatures of Grimm were tough monsters as well, capable of shrugging off crippling blows and survive for centuries, but they were nothing like King Ghidorah or Godzilla. They also can't recover quickly and certainly weren't powerful like the titans, not to mention the destructive abilities they possessed makes the Grimm look pathetic.

**Rodan appeared to be displeased, spreading out his wings and screeching at Godzilla.**

"It's disputing that monster's position as king?" Raven quietly asked.

The tribes and clans would often challenge the leader for their position should they feel that the current one is incompetent or weak. Godzilla is far from incompetent or weak.

Vernal looked uncertain. "After what it did to their former king? That's a whole new level of stupid."

**But Godzilla narrowed his eyes and growled, causing Rodan to reconsider his action. Realizing his blunder, Rodan slowly creaked his body down to the ground, bowing to his new king. Godzilla breathed out from his nostrils and slowly panned towards the other titans.**

**One by one, he glanced over them and they bowed; welcoming their new king.**

"The strong survive, the weak dies." Raven shakily said, "The strong rules over the weak. That's the natural and true order of the world."

Her words sounded hollow to everyone, even to her.

**Godzilla reared his head in triumph and roared at the skies, announcing to the titans in the world that there is a new king on the throne.**

The scene ends and the light slowly dimmed back on, signaling that this screening was over.

What everyone had witnessed had skewed their perception of the world and make them grateful for what they have.

Qrow and Tai immediately rushed over to check on Ruby to see if she's alright.

"You okay, darling?"

"Dad. Uncle Qrow…" Ruby whined as her face blushed in embarrassment, "I'm fine."

Everyone went to find their own comfort while the Hosts searched for their next viewing.

"That… That was scary." Jaune trembled a bit. No one could blame him for that.

Pyrrha nodded and awkwardly pulled Jaune into a semi-hug, "We should be happy for what we have."

"Do you continuously witness these kinds of events?" Maria asked the Hosts, "You lot seem to know awfully a lot about the worlds we watch."

_"We do. We see much more than any of you is capable of handling."_

"That must be hard." Glynda quietly said.

_"Our perception and morality are different than many others. Regardless, an apology is in order. We apologize for causing you great distress. For now, let's settle for something lighthearted. Perhaps one from an alternative reality of Remnant would do."_

Ozpin raised an eyebrow, "What's it about?"

_"It's centered around Nora Valkyrie."_

Nora and her teammates perked her head up. They managed to ease their hammer-wielding bruiser with her favorite food and Ren's 'passionate' concern.

"Oooh, what is it? What is it? Am I a queen? Maybe a fierce warrior that wields a lightning hammer?"

_"Nothing of that sort, but you shall soon see."_

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**NEXT:** **Nora's a Mommy! - Nautro/RWBY Crossover Fanfic by Curious Kitsune654**

**Be patient with your requests. I will be putting in my own and others into this series in a timely manner.**

* * *

**Pardon my grammar, spelling, and sequences description.**

* * *

**Another Note: I have posted some Concepts on my Profile page. If you're interested in what they are, come and check them out.**


	16. Nora's a Mommy! Ch 1

**SPECIAL THANKS TO:**

**Curious Kitsune654 - Author and provider of this chapter**

**only4jtr - For arranging our meetings**

**Yes, we can do more of these. Later someday. ****These are rather easy to make should I receive assistant from the author.**

**I will not be posting these out like what I did with Team SLVR since that seems to annoy and boring to others. I'll be setting these up now and then. Juggling millions of stuff here.**

* * *

**Nora's a Mommy Ch 1 - By Curious Kitsune654**

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**-Chapter 1-**

**It was late at night as one Nora Valkyrie wandered the halls of Beacon Academy on a mission. Nora was a short girl with bright orange hair, curvy body that hid her well-developed and deceptively powerful muscles, and *eh-hem* moderately large assets. She currently wore a black shirt with the word 'Boop' written across the chest area and bright pink short-shorts covered in lightning bolt patterns that did nothing to cover her toned legs.**

Nora jumped up from her seat, "Hey, that's me! Hi me!"

"I don't think your other self can hear you." Ren pulled her down back to her seat.

"Why are you in the hallways in the middle of the night?" Blake asked the powerhouse of Team JNPR.

"And past curfew." Glynda coldly remarked, "You wouldn't happen to be doing so in our reality as well, Miss Valkyrie?"

The girl in question only coughed in response.

**This mission she was on was one of great importance, a matter of life and death, nothing was of higher priority than her current task. Absolutely nothing would stop her from completing such an important task. What is this mission you may wonder?**

"An important mission." Nora nodded with graveness.

"Which is?" Jaune inquired about her 'mission'.

Ren rolled his eyes, "I think I know what it is."

***Gurrrrrr* "…Need pancakes," Nora was hungry.**

"I knew it."

Having lived with Nora throughout most of his current life, Ren can easily conclude what her midnight mission objective is. To top it all off, he wouldn't be surprised if she managed to sneak out of the dorm late at night without any of them noticing.

"Hey! A girl gotta eat!"

"Jaune, Pyrrha, Nora. Remind me to buy a small refrigerator for the room to store her pancakes in."

"Got it."

"Thank you, Renny!"

**She was currently on her way to the kitchen to make herself a late-night snack as she had already eaten her emergency pancakes, and Ren was to asleep at the moment to make some for her. That was fine though, she could just go make some herself, it wasn't like she couldn't cook for herself.**

"Oh no." Ren groaned and pinched his forehead remembering the last time Nora tried to cook.

Yang snorted, "Guess it didn't end well."

**-Mini Flashback-**

**"It wasn't my fault…" A slightly younger Nora pouted, now wearing her usual combat attire, as she and her closest bestest friend Lie Ren, a young man of Asian looking descent with black hair that had a single pink stripe, pink eyes, and wearing a green, black, and gold tailcoat and white pants, stood in front of a blackened stove.**

**"I just asked you to boil some water," Ren said in a tired voice as he palmed his face.**

**-End Mini Flashback-**

**She could totally cook just fine.**

Glynda motioned all of Beacon's staff to close in and whisper, "Miss Valkyrie is forbidden from operating the kitchen unsupervised. If worse comes to worst, she's forbidden to enter the kitchen without supervision."

**Wandering along the darkened halls of Beacon all by herself was a bit boring though as she had nobody to talk to though, so she livened it up a little. "I'm queen of the castle~, I'm queen of the castle~." She sang to herself as she cartwheeled down the last stretch of hallway and finally reached her destination.**

**"Yay! Time for pancakes!" She cheered happily while rushing over to the massive fridge at the back of the room. Pulling open the heavy door with ease, she started to reach inside only to freeze. "Uuuuh, what's used to make pancakes again?" She asked herself while scratching her head.**

"And your other self said she knows how to cook." Vernal snarked, feeling bad for her partner already.

"Hey! Why don't you try cooking?"

"Preparing a meal is a necessary survival skill. Of course, I know how to make my own meal."

Every bandit in the Branwen tribe knows how to hunt, forage and prepare their meals. A tribe member that didn't know how to do so won't survive for long. The Branwen tribe might be centered around pillaging, but not all settlements have enough food to take.

**"Oh, I know, I'll just look it up." Nora reached into her pocket for her scroll, only to end up finding it missing. 'Oops, must have left it on my nightstand," She thought sheepishly then pouted. "Aw, that means I'll have to use a cookbook, but books are sooooo boring." Drooping her head, she slowly shuffled over to where non-perishables were stored.**

"I feel your pain, sister."

Oobleck fixed his glasses, "Young lady. When in doubt, read a book!"

"It is a good resource for information." Ren supported the history professor's comment.

Nora's teammates had been trying to coax her into reading all semester with some success. That said, she still managed to get passing grades. Nora got her teammates to read for her, not that it does their vocal cords any good.

"Team JNPR sure has it hard," Coco commented with sympathy.

**When she got close though, she paused when she noticed the door was partly open and she could hear soft crunching sounds coming from inside. Curious, she quietly peers inside the doorway to see…**

**'Are those tails?' Nora asked herself in thought as she gazed at the fluffy appendages lazily swaying through the air.**

"We can hear her thoughts?" Yatsuhashi seemed a bit put off by that.

_"Correct. Or at least, what can be interpreted."_

Everyone looked a bit uncomfortable at that.

**There were nine of them total, all mostly dark red in color with light blond ends and if she had to guess around eight feet long and very dirty. Each individual one though had a slightly different colored tint near the tips, red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, light blue, white, and brown, that glowed ever so slightly.**

"Beautiful tail." Neo's sign read and flipped over to the other side, "Fetch a good price."

**Following the tails to their source, Nora was further surprised to see them all connected to a single person. A young faunus boy, maybe seven or eight years old, with messy blonde hair with red tips, wearing a tattered black shirt that hung off his skinny frame and equally tattered shorts.**

"What sort of faunus is he?" Velvet asked.

If it weren't for the dirt and grime, the nine tails would have been much more lustrous and beautiful.

Blake also shared her bafflement, "This is the first time I saw any faunus with nine tails…"

No one in the audience had ever seen such a faunus before.

_"You may consider him to be the mythical nine-tailed fox. Though he is originally not from Remnant."_

"Nine-tailed fox?"

"So, he's an alien?" Nora's eyes remained fixated on the blond child on the screen.

_"In a sense, perhaps…"_ There was more to the story, but the Hosts will hold off giving them any more information for now.

**She couldn't see his face do to him looking away from her, but she could see that he was clutching a glowing red crystal in his hand that she easily recognized as burn dust. Wondering what he was doing with it, Nora's curiosity quickly turned to shock and horror as the child popped the whole thing into his mouth… AND STARTED CHEWING!**

Half of the audience flinched at the sight while the others made the same expression the on-screen Nora was making.

**"AHH! SPIT THAT OUT!"**

Nora, Tai, Glynda, and Weiss echoed the on-screen Nora as well.

**Reacting without thinking, she burst into the room screaming, causing the boy to snap his head in her direction and freeze, revealing glowing red eyes filled with terror and puffed up whiskered cheeks. In less than a second, Nora tackled the boy to the floor and was in the process of prying his mouth open.**

"Aw, poor child!" Weiss also had a soft spot for children and cute things like the corgi dog named Zwei.

**Limbs and tails flayed around wildly as he tried to squirm free but thanks to Nora's impressive strength and his own lack of muscle didn't get far. Finally managing to get his mouth open, Nora was just able to see as the crunch up crystals vanished down his throat, no doubt towards his stomach. To stop this, she tried to forcefully induce vomiting by sticking her fingers down his throat but was stopped when she felt a strong shock run through her body.**

Tai nervously scratched his chin, "He's going to be fine, right?"

_"Yes."_

"I honestly cannot blame her for doing something so quick and drastic." Glynda would probably do the same thing if she was in her position.

"This isn't exactly lighthearted." Emerald sarcastically addressed the Hosts.

_"Watch and see."_

**Not really affected thanks to her semblance, even stronger now because of it, her reason for stopping was due to the fact the electricity was coming from the boy. His entire body was giving off bursts of static that shorted out the nearby electronics, burnt various food items, and even caused a few small explosions when it hit some miscellaneous dust crystals.**

Ozpin hummed thoughtfully while rapping his armrest, "Hmm… I would have passed that off as a semblance, but you said that this young boy is not originally from Remnant. Does that attribute to his abilities he is currently displaying?"

_"Correct."_

"Interesting."

**Nora was brought back to reality when one of the kid's legs kicked her right in the crotch.**

**"EEEEE!" **

**Collapsing on top of him, her hands instinctively shot down to cover the hurting area. (Un)fortunately for the boy, that still left him trapped under her and now he was being smothered by her chest.**

Nora blushed slightly while Ren looked slightly uncomfortable.

"Can't say the kid's lucky or unlucky," Mercury muttered, earning him a deadpanned look from Emerald. "Err… I mean, that was a nasty kick there."

**It took him several seconds to squirm out and pull his tails free, but by then Nora had recovered from the blow enough to tackle him down again, this time from behind.**

Ren sighed, "Nora… That's not how you treat a child."

"I know, Ren. I know." She bashfully laughs and placed a hand on his.

**Wrapping her arms under around the squirming kid's arms and waist, she got herself into a sitting position with him held firmly into her lap. Feeling another shock run through her, she channeled the charge into her arms and held tightly as he squirmed and wriggled for several minutes until he finally tired himself out. She was surprised several times during this, but not enough to lose her grip this time, when he suddenly turned ice-cold, then burning hot, shot both ice, fire, wind and even more electricity out of his mouth and even seemed to get several times heavier before returning to normal.**

"He's practically a conductor for Dust," Glynda noted.

"And it's not a semblance." Winter analytically observed the child's ability to spew out the elemental properties of the Dust he ingested. "Based on what was seen, fire, wind, ice, and electricity… He has ingested those types of Dust before she encountered him. What is this child particularly?"

_"We will not answer that question for the time being."_

"Whoa, the kid's blasting it!" Sun said in awe.

**She was never gladder for aura then during this as if she didn't have it she would have been badly hurt long before. Turning the now trembling boy so that he was facing her, Nora looked him over with a critical eye. 'How is he still okay, that dust should be burning him alive from the inside out.'**

Glynda nodded at that. "Dust ingestion is not a pretty sight."

"Is… Is it that bad?" Oscar asked.

"You wouldn't want to know." She confirmed.

"He must have a very strong stomach to withstand all of the Dust going off." Neptune's stomach grumbled in hunger, "Somehow, that makes me hunger…"

**Focusing back on his face, the terror etched all over it caused her to wince internally. "P-please do-don't hurt me-e, I j-just wa-wanted something to e-eat." He said with a heavy stutter as he looked towards the floor as his stomach growled loudly.**

Emerald could sympathize with the boy. It's why she had to resort to stealing food and valuables to survive.

"He's hungry." Blake felt her heartstring pull. She had seen similar occurrences with the faunus population due to the discrepancy of wealth.

"And since he doesn't know better, he saw Dust as a food source." Weiss clasped her hand, "Seeing how Dust doesn't hurt him, I can see why."

"It does look like rock candy from afar." Said Yang.

**"Don't worry, I'm not gonna hurt you." Nora said as she stood up and let him go much to his surprise. **

**That surprise quickly turned to embarrassment as she then leaned in close and checked his forehead. Not finding anything unusual, she then checked his stomach where she found a large black sun like tattoo across his belly but other than that he was fine.**

Everyone raised an eyebrow at the black sun tattoo.

"Did they tattoo a child?" Glynda's voice held a very steely tone.

Ironwood gulped, "Easy now, Glynda. Hosts? What is that?"

_"That is a seal."_

Everyone went silent. A seal for what? Wasn't this supposed to be lighthearted and not a sword of Damocles swinging overhead?

_"Do not concern yourself with that. Relax."_

**"What a-are you d-doing?" He asked nervously, to tired and hungry at this point to run away and thus completely at the girl's mercy. **

**"Making sure you're okay, duh! You just ate an entire burn dust crystal for Oum's sake!" **

**"Y-you mean the s-spicy c-candy?" Nora froze at these words.**

Roman chuckled, "Dust as spicy candy? This kid really has an exotic taste."

"I get that he's not from Remnant, but still, that doesn't mean he should put anything into his mouth." This is why Dust is to be kept away from children at all costs. Tai made sure of that greatly back when Yang and Ruby were babies. "Come to think of it, how did he get into Beacon unnoticed?"

Everyone pondered at that but figured to continue watching for a probable answer.

"Well, you can't really blame the kid if he can chow down on one without issue. I don't know where the kid comes from, but it sounds like his world has some tough cookies in it." Qrow had stopped drinking for the meantime and let the liquid simmer in his stomach. The meals in this place beat out everything Remnant had combined and the huntsman wants to make room for it.

Ruby's eyes turned predatory. "Cookies?"

**"You thought it was candy?" The boy nodded, "Who told you that dust was candy?" **

**"Uh, this n-nice m-man on a b-b-boat a long time ago. He-he even gave me some p-powdery kind that was su-super minty, th-though he l-l-looked really shocked after I-I ate it and then l-left."**

"Who on Remnant told him that Dust is candy?!" Glynda cracked her hands in a seething rage.

Blake and Velvet's eyes flared up a bit along with with most of the adults, especially the ones who had children.

**Nora stood there, shock (again) at what the boy told her. 'Someone tried to kill him by tricking him into eating Ice dust! Oooh if I ever find that sick son of a b***, Imma break his everything real good.' Nora thought darkly before focusing on the matter at hand.**

"I am going to break every single bone in his body!"

Maria spat, "You have my full support girl. Make sure you crush his ba –"

"Whoa! Let's not go there yet…" Qrow instinctively covered his in-betweens. "Doubt we'll even know who the bastard is."

"Swear!"

"Who would do such a horrible thing?" Weiss had a horrified expression.

"Someone who probably hates faunus to the extreme, no doubt about it." Blake had a similarly dark thought that was compatible with what on-screen Nora was thinking. "And a sadist."

"That's mess up." Emerald said.

Everyone nodded in agreement. Death by Dust indigestion is very unpleasant.

"I… Wow. I never thought you…" Jaune struggled to describe the disturbing thoughts the on-screen Nora was having. "Didn't know you can… Curse."

"Hey, they censored the word this time." Tai remarked. A few people glanced at him with a questioning look. "What? My priorities are not skewed, I can promise you that."

**Deciding to drop the matter for now as if it hadn't hurt him so far, then it likely wasn't going to. **

**"Here, how about I get you some real food then?" She offered while holding out her hand to him.**

**Looking at her suspiciously for a few seconds, the boy's stomach roared once again, and he reluctantly took her hand.**

"Oh, now he's suspicious." Coco rolled her eyes while feeling relief.

Qrow nodded, "Should had saved it for the guy who tried to get him killed."

**Smiling happily, Nora led him out of the destroyed storage room and into the kitchen where she plonked him onto a nearby chair and started rifling through a nearby cupboard until she pulled out a box labeled 'Pumpkin Pete's Marshmallow Flakes' with a picture of a red-headed girl with green eye's wearing a bronze ringlet and a nervous smile on her face.**

Pyrrha awkwardly coughed, seeing her picture on the cereal box on-screen. Not her best shot.

"I knew I saw you somewhere." Jaune gently nudged her on the arm.

Weiss flatly looked at him, "That isn't where you're supposed to know about her…"

"It's fine. It's fine." Pyrrha assured the heiress, "I'm happy that Jaune doesn't actually know who I was back then." She mumbled the last part, making it difficult for others to hear.

**"By the way, I'm Nora," Nora introduced herself with a smile as she grabbed a jug of milk from the fridge. **

**"Naruto," The boy said in return as she placed a filled bowl in front of him and handed him a spoon. **

**"Nice to meet you Naruto." Nora sat down across from him with a bowl of her own.**

"That's an odd name, I think." Ruby rolled the name on her tongue.

Ozpin pondered on the young boy's name for a moment, "I don't believe his name represents or corresponds to a color."

"Your name doesn't correspond to a color." Qrow pointed out.

"Not everyone follows the color naming convention." Ozpin defended himself.

**'Has never used a spoon before,' Nora idly noted as she saw him 'discreetly' observe her use her spoon before sloppily mimicking. Another thing was that he again 'discreetly' added chunks of wind dust into his cereal as he ate from a small pouch he had in his pocket. She watched with barely hidden fascination as he casually ate the volatile material with seemingly no negative effects. **

**Sure, there were such things as dust infused foods, hence why there was dust in the nonperishables in the first place, but those were comprised at most three percent's worth raw dust and had to be extremely carefully measured.**

"They didn't invent spoons from where he's from?" Weiss found that a bit hard to believe.

_"The majority of the people of his world utilized chopsticks."_

Oobleck found that interesting and wrote it down, "Each culture follows their own path of development, Miss Schnee. I mean, Miss Weiss Schnee."

**Feeling it was a bit too quiet for her tastes, she decided to start up some conversation. "Soooo, you ever pull any good pranks?"**

Ren and Glynda made disapproving noise.

Nora held her hand up, "I can't help it."

**-Twenty Minutes Later-**

***Click, click, click, click***

**The sound of heels hitting the hard floor echoed loudly through the area as Glynda stalked through the halls of Beacon. It was her job to make sure no students were up to any late-night mischief. **

**Standing at an impressive six foot five, she had bright blond hair and emerald eyes set in a stern gaze. She wore a simple white shirt with keyhole neckline, a black skirt that reached to just below her chest with dull copper buttons, brown/black leggings and heels, and a short black cloak with purple underside that had the bottom cut into arrow and flame patterns.**

"Look's like it's your turn to make an appearance." Ironwood tried not to stare too much, or risk getting called out for it. "Still diligent in your duties I see."

Glynda pushed up glasses, "Naturally."

**'This would be entirely unnecessary if Ozpin would just approve of those security cameras for the halls and classrooms. But nooo, that would be an invasion of their privacy he says… Not like I'm saying to put them in their rooms and showers. We don't have the budget for it, he says… But we somehow have enough Lien to fill an entire forest with hundreds of cameras instead.' Respect the man she may, but she couldn't help but question some of the decisions he's made for the security of the school. 'Not to mention the fact we have a comatose maiden hidden under the school that someone managed to steal half of her power from and is likely after the rest.'**

Cinder raised an eyebrow regarding the maiden part but didn't say anything. On another note, she was already well aware of the maiden's location. The other adults within Ozpin's inner circle froze at the careless mentioning of their secrets while everyone else seemed confused by the 'maiden' statement.

"Yeesh, I never thought Professor Goodwitch is capable of…" Yang instantly shut up when she saw the woman in question glaring. "Forget what I said."

"What's this about a comatose maiden and half her power stolen?" Ruby asked innocently.

"Oh, I'm sure it's nothing." Raven growled, making a jab at Ozpin's group.

Glynda turned her glare on the bandit queen. Like daughter and mother.

"It is nothing. My mind sometimes generates nonsensical subjects due to countless amount of stress of having to deal with empowered hormonal teenagers wielding powerful weapons, who can demolish the entire school if it weren't for my supervision."

An awkward silence spread throughout the room.

Jaune coughed, "She makes a good point."

"Thank you, Mr. Arc."

**So, caught up in her thoughts on the poor security on the grounds, she was barely able to jump out of the way as an orange and red blur barreled down the hallways at high speeds. **

**"Sorry Professor Goodwitch!" The unmistakable voice of Nora yelled as the blur vanished around a corner.**

Glynda rubbed her forehead, feeling her veins about to pop despite knowing the occurrences is from another reality. She couldn't help it. She valued Beacon for all its flaws and will defend it to the end. She also realized that something like this can occur back in their reality and she'll have to deal with it.

"Nora would like to preemptively apologize in place of her other self." Ren announced in hopes of lessening the 'ready to explode' deputy. "Nora, if you please?"

"I am sorry."

**Knowing she was going to regret it, Glynda went into the room the orangette had just vacated to be the kitchen. She was pleasantly surprised to see nothing wrong other than a pair of used bowls and some spilled milk on the counter. Just as the stern blonde was about to move on though, she noticed a puddle forming by the non-perishables room with the door partly ajar.**

Everyone leaned away from Glynda.

**Walking over to the door, she nudged it open with her riding crop. As soon as her gaze landed on the absolute disaster that lay inside, her eyebrow started twitching rapidly as a vein bulged on her forehead. **

**"That's it! We are getting those cameras if it's the last thing I do. I am tired of dealing with this s***."**

**-End Chapter-**

Silence.

Even Cinder and Raven tried not to make a slight twitch the moment they felt Glynda slowly turning her head towards Ozpin.

The ancient wizard started sweating profoundly, "Glynda."

"Cameras. School. Yes?"

"Yes. On my life." All of them in fact.

"Good."

Everyone breathed out a sigh of relief, happy that the disaster has been averted.

"I thought this was supposed to be lighthearted." Mercury whispered in fear of being heard by Glynda.

_"An unaccounted reaction."_ The Hosts replied.

Nora bounced up and down, "So, there's more to this story right? Will we see more? Do I get to keep him?"

_"You will see more, yes. You serve as Naruto's adoptive mother in this reality."_

"That's sweet, but I don't know if the headmaster will allow it."

It was more likely since Glynda would not approve of such a thing happening. Weiss was pretty certain about that. Then again… There's her team leader/partner, Ruby Rose, who is roughly two years younger than her.

Ozpin coughed a bit at that. He would allow it seeing that there's much to learn from the young 'faunus' boy. With Salem making her move, he'll need everything he can to stop her from achieving her goals. Though secretly… He doesn't actually have a plan to stop her. Simply delay the inevitable for the time being.

Raven snorted, "Oh, you'll be surprised. Princess."

Her former team, Team STRQ, got off with a lot of things that would have gotten other teams in deep trouble. Why would Ozpin do this? It's because the scheming headmaster is doing nothing more than fattening the lamb for a sacrifice. He's merely sending them to their deaths. It is this very reason why Raven abandoned her family and returned to her tribe. Her brother blindly followed Ozpin while Tai is… Forget him. It was Team STRQ, now it's Team RWBY and JNPR. The pattern is there.

Nora ignored the remarked from Raven and gave Ren a crushing hug, "Yay! Did you hear that Ren? I'm an adoptive mother!"

"Yes. I heard." Ren struggled a bit before resigning to his fate, "But I am worried about him. Nora isn't exactly a good role model."

"And she did say something about a prank earlier." Jaune put out.

Nora made a pouty face, "Fearless leader. Your eyes must be clouded. I am a wonderful role model."

"Yeeeeeaaaa – No." Yang shook her head.

Before the conversation could go on, the Hosts interrupted their time with an inquiry. _"We believe that the Vytal Festival shall soon start, back in your world. Is that correct?"_

"In a few weeks or a month, yes." Winter answered, wondering where this is going.

_"A tournament setting it is. Perhaps this next viewing may resonate with that."_

Those with competitive spirits were interested in that.

"What are we watching?" Ruby was eager to see if there were weapons should the next screening be anything like the Vytal Festival.

_"Unfortunately, it will not be as pleasant as one might think. We shall be seeing some of the contestants in the Dark Tournament. Beware, this next viewing may not be for the faint of heart."_

Ruby instinctively covered Oscar's eyes, again.

"Dark… Tournament?" Pyrrha looked a bit hesitant, "What is it?"

_"You will see."_

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**NEXT:** **Yu Yu Hakusho - Team Toguro vs Team Gorenja**

**I will do some more stuff with Yu Yu Hakusho, but I want the casts to get a feel on some of the major characters.**

**Be patient with your requests. I will be putting in my own and others into this series in a timely manner.**

* * *

**Pardon my grammar, spelling, and sequences description.**

* * *

**Another Note: I have posted some Concepts on my Profile page. If you're interested in what they are, come and check them out.**


	17. Yu Yu Hakusho - Team Toguro vs Gorenja

**This took longer to make due to life. So sorry about that!**

**I was hesitant to do some Overwatch stuff since it's been done before, but since I've been getting support for it... Very well. I don't mind.**

**Changed rating to [M].**

**Pardon my grammar.**

**EDIT: Fixed some words. On a side note, I thought I balanced Oscar's reaction in this chapter, but I might have to do it on the other.**

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**Yu Yu Hakusho - Team Toguro vs Team Gorenja**

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_"As stated, this will not be for the faint of heart. Steel yourself, you will be witnessing some gruesome scenes."_

"You seem to enjoy these kinds of things." Maria huffed with annoyance, "Are you certain you can't keep these things to yourself? I already saw my fair share of horrible things."

Tai agreed with the elderly lady. His daughters may be huntresses-in-training meaning that they're technically adults and will eventually encounter things he would never want them to see, but for now… He wants them emotionally and mentally unscarred.

"Weiss, help me with Oscar."

"Ruby, he's asking you to let go."

Somewhere in the audience, Ruby and Weiss were flanking Oscar's seat. One trying to cover his eyes, the other trying to pry the former's hands off of the farm boy. It was a slightly amusing sight to see, like aunts arguing what's best for their nephew.

Oscar seemed to have given up trying to assure the crimson reaper. "This is fine. I guess…"

The room darkened and the screen fades to black for the next viewing.

**The scene cuts to a large stadium filled with crowds of demons of all shapes and forms, cheering for the next match to start. On the circular stage, Juri; a dark skin girl with green hair, fins, and tail; announced the semifinalist teams who will be facing off against each other.**

"A faunus?" Blake frowned but noticed the extra animal traits on her. "No, something else maybe?"

_"She is a demon. The majority of those you see on screen are either demons, spirits, or humans."_

"That would explain some of the ugly guys on the bleachers." Mercury cruelly remarked on some of their appearances.

"She's quite cute." Neptune murmured.

Behind him, Weiss felt her eyes twitched a bit, but didn't know why. Maybe it's because of Ruby.

**"And now, for the second round of the semifinals, the Gorenja Team enters the stadium!" **

**The crowd's volume picked up a bit as five demons entered the stadium. Akarenjya, Team Gorenja's leader entered first, followed by Aorenjya, Momorenjya, Midorenjya, and lastly Kirenjya.**

Qrow's instinct told him that they were powerful and dangerous. "Look at those guys."

**Juri turned and faced the opposing side. "Continuing, the Toguro Team also comes forward!" **

**The crowd went wild this time, chanting "Team Toguro" or "Toguro" as the (in)famous and fearsome team finally makes their appearance in the Dark Tournament. **

**"We've been waiting for this, Toguro!" Members of the audience roared in anticipation. **

**"Toguro, Toguro, Toguro!"**

"Looks like this team is the crowd's favorite." Pyrrha had crowds cheering for her throughout her tournament career. She used to find it encouraging, but later down the line, she started to feel intimidated for fear she might disappoint the fans and such.

**The large metal doors opened revealing three out of four members of Team Toguro.**

"Scratch what I said earlier… Look at those guys."

The adults nodded in agreement along with several perspective people. This team, despite having fewer people, was emitting something indescribable. Almost like their very presence taints the room with negative energy.

**But it seems that they were missing a member. The tall, hulking, and (in)famous younger Toguro was missing, leaving only the Elder Toguro at the helm along with two other members of the team; Bui and Karasu. **

**It was three against five.**

"Where're the other two members of their team?" Port asked the Hosts.

Ironwood frowned at the Toguro Team on-screen. "Either they couldn't find other members, or four is enough. Then again, we don't exactly know how the tournament rules go in this world…"

_"Team Toguro is composed of four members. The Dark Tournament allows up to six or seven team members per team, though they are normally acting as replacements."_

"Replacements?"

_"Indeed."_

"They give off a dangerous vibe," Raven noted one of the particular members seemingly more dangerous than the rest. "That midget… Something about him unsettles me."

**Another announcer and referee, a demon cat girl named Koto commentated on the crowd's reaction. "In a complete turn of events from the last round, there is an incredible outpouring! The Toguro Team is met with deafening cheers as they enter the stadium!" She started to announce the contestants one by one. "Contestant Karasu! Contestant Bui! Contestant Toguro the Elder!"**

**Team Toguro entered the circular arena and stared down Team Gorenja.**

**In the VIP section/tower, an ogre named Jorge and the Prince Koenma in his baby form observed the dangerous Team Toguro from afar.**

Weiss blinked, "What's a child doing there?"

_"He is Prince Koenma, Heir of the Spirit World and is much older than he looks."_

"This place is weird…" Coco muttered.

**"Huh? Koenma-sama, I don't see the younger of the Toguro Brothers!" **

**Koenma sat back in his seat, crossing his arms. "It's outrageous for him to be late. Well, maybe he's just gone to the bathroom or something." **

**"As big as Toguro is, it must take a while!" Jorge joked.**

Qrow smirked, "Must be Jimmy they're talking about."

"Why you…!"

"I highly doubt they're talking about me, Qrow." Ironwood casually replied to his co-worker.

**The audience and referees/announcers took notice of the Younger Toguro absence. **

**"What could this mean? Although the Toguro Team is in the semifinals, Toguro the Younger is nowhere to be seen." Koto commentated on the odd situation.**

"Seems like there's another one of this 'Toguro' that isn't there." From what Cinder could understand, the Toguro is younger, is huge, and is supposedly powerful.

"Maybe he went to the bathroom like that… Uh, demon guy… The demon said?" Ruby didn't know the name of the ogre next to Koenma, so she tried her best to construct her sentence and a plausible explanation.

**Team Gorenja leader, Akarenjya, bit back a sneer. His sharp serpent-like eyes and scarred face gave him a fierce appearance.**

**"Let's have an explanation. Where is your brother?" Akarenjya leered at Elder Toguro. **

**Toguro the Elder was a short man with wiry long dull hair. Despite his teammates towering over him, he's their acting team leader for a very good reason. Casually returning Akarenjya stare, the Elder Toguro calmly explained his younger siblings' excused absences.**

"This midget is really giving me a bad vibe," Raven repeated her statement.

Cinder agreed with the bandit queen. The Elder Toguro reminds her of Tyrian, but if he was smaller and maybe creepier.

"No kidding… My arm is shaking just by looking at him." Tai looked at his left arm, finding himself unable to stop it from shaking. "Not a good sign."

"He gives me the chills." Fox quietly said.

**"My brother had important business." He said with a condescending tone, looking very smug. "We were planning on facing you with just the three of us. If you aren't satisfied with just the three of us, I wouldn't mind going at you alone."**

**That pissed off Team Gorenja.**

**"You dare mock us?!" Akarenjya clenched his fist and gritted his teeth.**

Mercury snorted, "This guy is very cocky. Guess he's making up for something."

"I would be mad at this guy as well." Yang cracked her knuckles. The irritating midget also parallels with another irritating midget she knew and fought. Neo.

"Being mad is one thing but letting it control your action is another. It'll blind you." Ren wisely said.

"Well said." Glynda fixed her glasses and paid close attention to their exchange.

**The only female member of the group, Momorenjya, turned to her leader and tried to deescalate the situation. **

**"Still, this is a chance to beat the Toguro Team that will never come again!" Without the Younger Toguro in the match, they'll have a better chance at beating Team Toguro and claim glory. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity!**

**"This is a surprise!" Koto broadcast Elder Toguro's declaration for their upcoming match. "It appears that the Toguro Team will be fighting in the semifinals with only three members!" **

**The lights overhead rotated above the circular arena, prepping for the first match between the semifinal teams.**

Penny looked concerned. "I just remembered that our Hosts said that this is not for the faint of hearts. Don't tell me, the contestants are allowed to kill each other?"

_"Correct."_

"What?!" Half of the audience shouted in outrage.

**Juri raised her hands into the air, "And now, the matches between the Toguro Team and the Gorenja Team will begin!" **

"Weiss! Cover Oscar's eyes!"

"I'll follow your orders just this once."

"Can you please not do so?"

**The large screen that was displayed in the stadiums flickered, revealing the first two contestants that will be facing against each other. **

**Karasu VS Midorenjya!**

**The two contestants entered the circular arena. **

**Karasu's appearance could be described as a young adult man with long smooth black hair, wearing a metallic mask. There are even tiny reading glasses taped to his mask. Midorenjya, on the other hand, appears to take on the form of a bald green goblin with red eyes with a sharp mouth.**

Coco raised an eyebrow at Karasu's outfit. "Not a bad look. A bit plain just needs a bit more color and styling."

"This doesn't seem like a good time to judge their fashion." Yatsuhashi crossed his arms with a steely expression. "We watched people die before, but this… This isn't right. What kind of tournament allows contestants to kill each other?"

"Something like a very valuable prize, I would guess." Roman answered the giant huntsman-in-training, "Something worth killing for. That or these guys just loves killing people."

Roman found it unsettling, but he and Neo tried to remain apathetic. They killed people before. This viewing shouldn't make much of a difference.

**"You three are going to face the five of us, huh?" Midorenjya probed his opponent for weakness while his jeering serves to demoralize Karasu. "It seems that we have been greatly underestimated. But then again, we didn't advance our way into the semifinals just for show, either!" **

**With a battle cry, Midorenjya unleashed his aura to its fullest extent causing the air around him to ripple violently. Juri staggered away from the fierce winds that suddenly tore through the stadium, but Karasu held his ground, looking unimpressed.**

"Impressive." Ozpin had put away his mug and clasped his hand. "Seems to be some sort of aura. A powerful one as well."

"But he's just standing there." Weiss frowned, "And the other one. He's not doing anything."

"It looks like he's probing for a weakness." Winter gave her thoughts on it.

**Karasu watched impassively as Midorenjya condensed his spiritual power into a crackling green orb while his body continues to emit his green wind-like aura. The crackling green orb started dripping acidic liquid into the ground, eating away the solid floor.**

"Corrosive acid?" Pyrrha winced, "I… I don't like where this is going."

Jaune unintentionally grabbed Pyrrha's hand, not even bothering to let go. "Me too, Pyrrha. Me too."

**"Contestant Midorenjya has suddenly produced some kind of goopy…" Juri's eyes widen. She quickly turned her head away from Midorenjya and covered her nose. "Ugh! What could it be?! It has a fiercely acidic odor to it!" **

**The audience could also smell the foul, acidic odor. **

**"What is that smell?!" **

**"I can't take this!"**

"It must be awful for those with sensitive noses." Velvet rubbed her own nose, swearing she could smell something acidic in the air.

"It must be worse to be hit by it." Mercury looked disgusted, "What on Remnant is that thing?"

_"Think of it as a Semblance. This world uses spiritual energy, their soul, to perform feats like this one."_ The Hosts explained, _"But it is not what you are all familiar with. It is similar, but not the same."_

"Interesting." Ozpin mused.

**Karasu remained impassive, unaffected by the horrible odor. He'll be letting Midorenjya charge up his attack before making his own move.**

_"We will slow down some scenes for our guests. The speed these combatants move at is quite difficult for any of you to take in."_

Everyone blinked at that.

"Are they really that fast?" Blake quietly asked.

"Well, we don't know jack about these worlds. Let the Hosts do what is best for us." Maria grumbled a bit while chewing her cashew snacks. "Like snatching little boys and old ladies from their world. Neh neh."

**"Die!" Midorenjya launched the acidic orb at Karasu.**

**Still keeping his calm appearance, Karasu closed his eyes and flitted out of its trajectory. The acidic green orb flew past Karasu and he turned to witness its effects as it struck the spectators bleachers behind him.**

**The acidic orb spattered itself all over the spectators, large neon green waves engulfed them and fizzled them out of existence, leaving only a scarred stadium side. What remains is a melted section of the stadium, slowly hissing green acrid smoke into the air. **

**"Incredibly, the spectators who were hit by the green ball that Contestant Midorenjya threw have dissolved, disappearing without a trace!" Koto commentated with interest, while the audience around her looked very, very nervous. **

"Oh my…" Port gasped at the demised of the spectators.

Ironwood gripped his seat. "By the gods. Not a trace of them left."

"Th-they just brushed off the spectator's death?!" Glynda stood up in rage. "Why –"

_"It is not uncommon for spectators of the Dark Tournament to perish. Either accidentally, or intentionally. At times, the contestants will see them as nothing more than fuel for their regenerative abilities or powers. As such, death among the viewers is common."_

Emerald gagged at that. "That's messed up…"

**Midorenjya grinned, "It looks as though you underestimated my power, huh? This time, it's your turn to be vaporized!" He generated another acidic orb. But his opponent merely sighed and closed his eyes, calmly walking towards Midorenjya. "Hmph! Like a summer's moth flying into a flame!"**

"Why is he walking towards him?!" Ruby yelped, forgetting to cover Oscar's eyes. "Didn't he see what just happened?!"

Oscar gulped. He couldn't place it and he wasn't certain that Karasu was bluffing, but something instinctually told him that the long-haired demon has nothing to fear from his opponent.

"I think… I think it's because…" His words were cut short by the next scene.

**He launched his attack, but this time Karasu looked fed up. **

**"You idiot!" Karasu blurred as he leaped into the air. His wavy black coat spread outward looking like bat wings. **

**"What?!"**

"Whoa, he's fast!" Sun yelped.

**The green goblin-like demon eyes widen with the reflection of Karasu descended upon him. Time slowed down as Karasu touched Midorenjya's shoulder, and vault over several meters behind him.**

"What… Did he just do?" Ruby squeaked. Her hands went up to her eyes, but still, she continued to watch behind her fingers.

**Midorenjya seemed frozen in place, until his shoulder suddenly exploded, ripping his entire arm off. He let out a cry and staggered from the explosion, clutching his arm in pain.**

"Oh!" Yang winced at that, instinctively grabbing her own arm.

Vernal jaw fell, "Holy shit. What did he do?!"

**The injured demon frantically turned and face Karasu. "What the hell… Did you –?" **

**Before Midorenjya could finish his sentence, Karasu flitted past him. Midorenjya eyes widen as his last arm exploded, leaving him armless. Midorenjya stumped and sank to his knees, his forehead was sweating profusely with fear and pain. **

**The entire stadium went silent, leaving only Team Gorenja to gasp in shock and horror.**

The people of Remnant were no different, gaping at the effortless and explosive dismemberment of the unfortunate demon on-screen.

Ironwood's robotic arm twitched, and he felt ghost pains coming back to it. "This... Brings me back."

"With two touch, the guy just disarmed the poor bastard!" Tai unintentionally made a pun, but it didn't register with him or anyone in the audience.

**"Now then," Karasu said coolly, "what should I blow away next?" He pulled one hand out of his pockets and waved it, "Your legs? Your belly? Or perhaps your head?"**

"H-hasn't he done enough?" Weiss whimpered.

"He's enjoying this," Raven said with disdain. She may be a ruthless bandit leader, but there are lines she will not cross. Partaking in unnecessary torture or prolonging anyone's suffering is one of those. "Sick bastard is actually enjoying this."

**Midorenjya stuttered, backing away from the long-haired demon, "Don't, please! Spare me!" **

**The armless demon turned and ran for his life, hoping to jump out of the arena to be disqualified rather than die. **

**"You're a disgrace!" Karasu hissed and flew into the air, awing the crowd with his graceful, but lethal assault.**

Nora cried out in horror. "No! He's already helpless! Let him go!"

Midorenjya may have killed innocent spectators, but with both of his arms gone, the demon was already in a pitiful state. Inflicting any more harm is just cruel, at least in her eyes.

"Nora, easy. Easy." Ren clutched Nora's head and covered her eyes, watching the finishing blow with an uneasy expression.

**His unfortunate opponent was unable to get to safety as Karasu barreled down. The last thing Midorenjya saw before his demise was his opponent closing in on him. **

**Karasu gracefully landed with his eyes closed. He calmly got up while Midorenjya stood frozen behind him. Within seconds, the armless demon exploded, coating the arena with gray dust and leaving a sizable crater where Midorenjya stood. **

**The crowd and referees were stunned to silence by the display.**

"Not even a body…" Winter clutched her hand, sickened by the coup de grace. "Hosts, what is the rule for this so-called Dark Tournament? What drives these people to perform such horrid acts?"

_"The rules are not set in stone. The idea of mercy has never been a part of the tournament. Any tactics to defeat the opponent go as long as the organizers allow it. The strongest, fittest, or influential combatant prevails in this tournament. And the grand prize… The winners will be granted one wish."_

Raven sweated a bit at the mention of the strongest and fittest remark from the Hosts.

"A wish…?" Cinder eyed the screen warily, "Such as the winner will be granted anything?"

_"There is some limitation to the wish, but you are correct. The winners will be able to make one wish for nearly anything they desired."_

Everyone gulped. If such a thing exists in Remnant, every single person, group, and kingdoms would do everything they can to obtain such a thing.

"No wonder." Neo's sign read. She flipped it over to the other side. "It's the ultimate prize. Either you die trying to obtain your desires, or make it happen in one go."

**Juri snapped out of her daze when she saw that Midorenjya was no more. She raised her hand to the air and announced the winner of this match. "The winner is Contestant Karasu of the Toguro Team!"**

**The crowd cheered for the victory while the arena gets restore for the next battle. Among the spectators, a red-haired pretty boy named Kurama looks on with a grim expression. **

**_'That is a fearsome technique.'_ Kurama mentally tried to analyze what Karasu did to his opponent to make him explode like that. _'He probably forces Demon Energy into his opponent's body and destroys it from the inside.'_ Kurama sweats a bit at the prospect of having him as an opponent. _'He's strong! As long as I'm in Minamino Shuichi's body like this, I'm not sure I can stand up to even those other two, let alone the Toguro Brothers.'_**

Those who are adept at controlling aura to use it offensively had their eyebrows raised.

"Essentially, he's pouring his aura into his opponent's body and letting it 'explode' inside out similar to how we can use our aura against the Creatures of Grimm." Fox deduced with a tensed expression.

"A scary semblance if one exists..."

Glynda's face scrunched up, "It's an ironic usage."

"Let's not think about that for now, dearie." Maria tapped her cane on the floor.

**A flashback of a very short, elderly human woman known as Master Genkai came into his mind.**

**/Flashback/**

**"Kurama. Hiei." She called over the two demons from their team. "Take a good look at the way those guys fight." **

**/Flashback Ends/**

**Kurama gritted his teeth. _'Hiei may have been right not to watch.'_**

"It is very demoralizing." Ironwood couldn't help but admit it. The speed which Karasu displayed combined with a sure kill is very frightening.

Raven scowled. _'Just how I feel about Salem and your hopeless crusade, Ozpin.'_

"Hey, Maria. I think I saw your sister on screen." Qrow taunted the little old lady.

The old lady in questioned conked Qrow over the head with her cane. "Oh, hush. I don't recall having a sister."

**The next match soon began with the screen displaying the next contestants to take to the field. A one-eyed cyclopes demon named Kirenjya, and a masked, heavily armored samurai called Bui.**

**"The second match is between Contestant Bui and Contestant Kirenjya!"**

Coco let out a steady breath. "Looks like it's the big guys on the team who's getting the spotlight this time."

"I'm scared of what's going to happen." Yang was very anxious and wanted to get this viewing over with. Watching tournament fights used to be her favorite hobby, but this is not exactly what she would like to see.

"You're huntsmen and huntresses in training." Qrow pointed out and hope that he didn't sound too harsh or cruel. "You might experience this sort of thing out on the field. It's not pretty, but this is the reality. Maybe not as this sick show in front of us, but there will be sickos out there. If you can't stomach this, you should give up on becoming huntsmen."

Ruby opened her mouth to protest, "But…!"

"He's right." Maria cut her off, "If you want to continue the path of a huntsman, you must stay strong."

Tai quietly nodded.

**With the arena repaired, the contestants met on the levitated platform. **

**Kirenjya clicked his tongue and gripped the handle of his massive sword that was holstered behind his back. With a grunt, he ripped it free from its sheath and wrap, revealing a large curved sword. It was an act of machoism, intimidation, and a boost to the cyclops demon's moral after witnessing what Karasu did to his teammate. **

**"Oh, my! Contestant Kirenjya has drawn a giant sword!" Koto commentated.**

Mercury snorted. "That's what she said."

His green-haired partner punched him on the shoulder.

**Even with his weapon drawn, Kirenjya was still nervous. His confident laughter was pocketed with tints of fear. **

**"How about this?" He taunted Bui, his brow slightly sweating. "I wanted to keep this sword until the finals, but I'm not going to get careless either!" Raising his sword, Kirenjya analyzed his opponent. "I don't care how much you fortify your own body with that armor, this hardened steel sword will slice you and your armor right up!"**

"Oh please, you have yet to see Yatsuhashi's."

Yatsuhashi awkwardly coughed. "Coco…"

The fashionista face turned slightly red, "Not like that!"

**In response, Bui wordlessly lifts his hand in the air, sending crackles of energy into the air, summoning his gigantic, heavy ax. He let the ax fall into his outreached hand and gripped it tightly; the floor underneath him cracked and caved in from the increased weight. Bui silently breathed through his mask, thoughts, and intention unreadable as he waited for his opponent to make his move.**

**Kirenjya was jolted back by Bui's weapon. "What?!"**

"Oh. Oh damn." Neptune couldn't help but gasp at the incredible strength Bui was displaying.

Port's eyes shot wide open. "Good heavens! The ground underneath him went up to his ankle! How heavy is that thing?!"

"Unbelievable so." Oobleck pushed his glasses back up. "But it seems so unwieldy! And where did such a weapon hail from?"

**Koto watched the two contestants square off one another, eager to see how this match would end. "The ax, which suddenly appeared with Contestant Bui, is even more gigantic than Contestant Kirenjya's sword!"**

Qrow rolled his eyes. "Thank you, captain obvious. I hope you won't do the same thing when we're commentating at the Vytal Festival."

Port eyed the often-drunk huntsman. "I'll have you know, we're professional commentators."

**"You fool! Just because it's bigger doesn't mean it's better!" The one-eyed demon chuckled, albeit nervously. _'If I can just move in close enough, my sword will have to be faster than that, you moron!'_**

Neo scoffed and hoisted her sign up, "And he was bragging about how big his sword is."

**Bui silently stood there. **

**"Match two, begin!" **

**The second match has begun with Kirenjya cautiously shuffling towards Bui, who remained passive in his spot. Not a single muscle in Bui's body moved. The armored demon stood in his place like a statue while his one-eyed opponent inched closer and closer.**

**"What is he planning to do?!" Some of the audience members were questioning Bui's response. "Even at that distance, Bui hasn't even flinched yet!" **

**"With an ax as big as that, he'll never swing it in time!"**

Jaune nervously tugged on his shirt, "He's not moving. Oh boy, that guy is already in striking distance. How is he just standing there?"

He felt Pyrrha gripping his hand. The screen was just oozing tension and anxiety.

"It does look very unwieldy." Glynda agreed but understood that all members of Team Toguro are powerful individuals. "But after knowing what one of their team members is capable of, I'm afraid that each and every single one of them is exceptional opponents."

Raven grimly nodded, "This Bui guy will win. I can bet on that."

**Kirenjya was now within range, standing just a few feet away from Bui. His one eye narrowed in triumph.**

**_'At this distance, you're all mine!'_ Kirenjya's entire body and sword blurred towards his armored opponent. The heavy silver streak of his sword glimmered underneath the spotlight, cutting through the air towards Bui. **

**In an instant, Bui made his move; swinging his heavy ax and completely pulverized Kirenjya's entire upper body. The remains of his opponent's skin and organs ripped and scattered through the air, one of which was Kirenjya's single eye. The eyeball fell into the hands of one of the audiences who quickly shrieked in horror and disgust, immediately tossing it away.**

**"I-incredibly, Contestant Bui has in one instant smashed Contestant Kirenjya to bits with his giant ax!"**

Mercury's throat dried up from the gruesome kill. He never had much of a problem killing people. Heck, he even shot Tukson in the head, but this gory kill took things to another level.

"Holy shit."

"I think I'm going to be sick." Weiss clutched her mouth.

Several other students, particular the freshmen and Oscar looked a bit green. In the 'villain' section, Neo had her mouth agape, letting her sign drop to the floor. It was a nasty and gory kill.

Ozpin set his jaws firmly, "I couldn't even read his movement."

"It was… Instantaneous." Ironwood rasped.

"This little old lady might die here at this rate…"

**Bui effortlessly heaved his giant ax over his shoulder and walked off the arena. His footsteps shook and shattered the floor with each step. The audience chatted among themselves, whispering in awe on what they had just witnessed. **

**"A-at that range, that enormous ax was faster than the sword?"**

Penny's eyes flickered, "I can't get an accurate measure."

Her readings went off the charts when she tried to measure the speed and weight of the armored demon.

"Fast, and strong." Yatsuhashi gulped, "He must weight a ton, but he moves like its nothing."

**Akarenjya was internally shaking. "W-why does somebody that ridiculously strong follow the Toguros?"**

"My… My thoughts exactly." If such a person wielded that sort of strength, Vernal would find it impossible that they would be willing to work for someone should they have this sort of strength.

**The Elder Toguro heard this and chuckled. "It's a simple enough matter. It's because we, the Toguro Brothers, are even stronger." He narrowed his eyes. "This is too much of hassle. All three of you come to me. If you can beat me, I'll let you have the final round." **

**"W-what was that?!" Akarenjya snarled and clenched his fist. His teammates also shared the same sentiments. "You'll be sure to regret saying that!"**

"He's very bold to challenge three semifinalists." Blake's ears flatten, "But if he's as strong as he claims…"

"I mean, we saw Pyrrha demolish Team CRDL…"

Pyrrha shook her head, "Even I would balk against three semifinalists. They made their way to the semifinals for a good reason."

**Koto smiled in anticipation. "Amazingly, it appears that Contestant Toguro is daring to take on the other three opponents at once."**

Sun stared at the demon cat girl with caginess, "She sure seems to be enjoying this."

"I think she's messed up." Neptune agreed.

**"Toguro the Elder is going to fight!" **

**"He can fight without his brother?!"**

"The audiences are really enjoying this," Raven noted. It seemed that to these demons, this is just like Remnant's Vytal Festival, only much more dangerous and bloodier. It's a blood sport.

Oobleck calmly drank his coffee, "This reminds me of ancient depictions of gladiatorial games, only they don't often kill their contestants…"

**The crowd ooh and ahh as the remaining members of Team Gorenja jumped onto the arena to face the Elder Toguro. It was three against one, a huge advantage, but Team Gorenja won't be letting their guards down. They'll be going all out to teach this midget a lesson. **

**Meanwhile, the Elder Toguro stood there with his hands in his pockets, looking smug and sure of himself.**

Yang scowled, "His smug face is really pissing me off."

"Language, young lady." Tai and Maria reprimanded the blond girl.

Raven rolled her eyes. "Control your temper. It'll extend your lifespan."

"Geez, thanks, mom."

**Juri glanced between the two teams before initiating the match. "Begin!" **

**The trio roared and rushed towards the Elder Toguro; their bodies started to haze as they began their famous combination attack. Akarenjya took point and leaped towards his opponent. Aorenjya and Momorenjya flanked to the left and right respectively. **

**"You've gotten too carried away with yourself!" **

**"You cannot follow…!"**

**"… Our combination plays!" **

**Several perfect illusions of the trios materialized from their body and dashed around Toguro the Elder. The demons and their illusions moved at such speed that afterimages were forming, dotting the air with impossible speed.**

**"Oh, my! The three contestants leap around in all directions at will!" Koto slammed her microphone down with excitement, "It almost looks like there are thousands of them! Is there nothing that Contestant Toguro can do against them?!"**

"Which one is the real one? They're all over the place!" Sun's eyes couldn't keep up with the illusions and afterimages. "My head is spinning."

"They're well adept in teamwork." Glynda complimented on their swift maneuvers and diversion.

"How do they keep track of themselves?" Oscar quietly asked.

"It's all about perception." Neo's sign said.

**The trio of Team Gorenja lunged in for the kill. Momorenjya extended her claws into glistering, razor-sharp blades, while Akarenjya and Aorenjya condensed all of their energies into their palm and hands. The air crackled with energy, their illusions mimicked their attack, further increasing the lethality of their combined attack. **

**"Take this! Triple Concerted Deathstrike!"**

Emerald drew in her breath, "Even their illusions…!"

"They're going in for the kill." Raven raised her voice slightly in anticipation.

**The Elder Toguro grinned. He spread his arms out and extended numerous sharp, fleshly tendrils from his body at all directions, impaling the trio multiple times. A spew of blood erupted from two of the trio's mouths, say for Momorenjya who was instantly killed from the Elder Toguro's attack. **

**"That's a shame. I have a talent for defeating everyone all at once." He retracted his tendrils into his body, watching his opponent fall onto the floor.**

Everyone went quiet for a brief second.

Jaune shakily made an offhand remark. "The one-time teamwork doesn't work."

"Ugh. Creepy guy with a creepy attack." Qrow blanched, "My skin is getting goosebumps."

"That's so disgusting." Coco winced and gagged at the fleshly tendrils that pierced the demons' skin. "So gangly. Hurk…"

Winter scowled, "It's a shame… It looks like he specializes in counteracting teamwork. That would explain his constant harassment for his opponents to face him all at once."

**The crowd was roaring with cheers for the Elder Toguro. **

**"Awesome, Toguro the Elder!" **

**"That was so cool!" **

**Akarenjya and Aorenjya shakily got up from the floor, clutching their wounds as best they could. This prompts the Elder Toguro to 'compliment' them. **

**"Oh? You two are still alive?" He grinned, "You really didn't get to the semifinals just for show." The Elder Toguro watched his injured opponents squirm under his gaze. "As a reward, I promise I will allow either one or the other of you two to live. Come on, make your request to me."**

"Hasn't he done enough?" Glynda spat.

Maria shook her head with disdain. "Apparently not. The creepy bugger really has no redeeming qualities."

**"Don't be ridiculous! You think I would beg you?!" Akarenjya shook his head and spat out blood. Despite being heavily injured, he still had a lot of fight in him left. "If you don't kill me right here, I will come to kill you someday!" **

**"L-let me live! Please, just spare my life!" Aorenjya begged to the Elder Toguro, surprising his team leader. If Aorenjya was asking for the Elder Toguro to spare him, then it would mean Akarenjya must die since the Toguro stated that only one of them can live.**

"He's… Betraying his own teammate?"

Ruby was extremely conflicted in Aorenjya's decision. It was his life or his teammates, and that's a hard one to think about. They couldn't fight, seeing how injured they were. What else could they do? They were at the mercy of their opponent.

"No…" Raven quietly answered, "He's trying to survive…"

"It's a sadistic choice." Roman fiddled with his hat. "He's trying to make them fight over their lives like hungry dogs over scrap."

**The Elder Toguro closed his eyes and smiled, "That settles it, then."**

"I can't watch…" Nora whimpered.

**He raised his finger and took aim. Akarenjya braced himself for death but suddenly looked shocked when it was Aorenjya who was killed instead. Five tendrils impaled Aorenjya's head, driving his corpse several meters from his initial position before the Elder Toguro retracted his tendrils, letting it plop to the ground.**

"Didn't… Didn't the guy say…?" Neptune swallowed.

Ozpin barred his teeth, "He's those kinds of people."

"W-what do you mean?"

Ozpin didn't answer, letting the Elder Toguro's next dialogue speak for itself.

**"We hate those who are so disgraceful." The Elder Toguro sadistically explained to the last member of Team Gorenja. "Previously, when Karasu and Bui challenged us brothers and lost, they said something similar to what you just said…" **

**The camera pans over the Karasu and Bui, who wordlessly watched the Elder Toguro toy with his opponent.**

"So, they were beaten by the little creep." Mercury found it very hard to believe. Then again, he assumed that they didn't see what the little bastard could do at full strength, not to mention they haven't seen the other Toguro brother yet.

**/Flashback/**

**A shadowy form of Karasu was thrown into the ground, falling over face first. The long-haired demon shakily pushed himself up and turned to face the Toguro Brothers while Bui remained on the ground, twitching ever so often. The Elder Toguro sat on his giant brother's shoulder like a small monkey, looking at them with crazed eyes.**

Qrow narrowed his eyes. "Is that guy the younger brother? He's huge."

"The younger siblings do tend to grow taller than the older ones."

**"H-hurry up and kill us!" Karasu rasped, sounding very close to death. **

**"No." The hulking figure wearing sunglasses flatly denied his request. This person is Toguro the Younger, the previous Dark Tournament champion. "The defeated have no right to give any orders. I, as the victory, will decide whether I let you live or kill you."**

"That's one hell of a recruitment policy." Roman quietly said, reflecting on how he ended up working with Cinder.

Raven frowned, "Not exactly my cup of tea, but that is the natural law of things."

**/Flashback Ends/**

**"Before we knew it, they grew to be considerably stronger than they were then, and we put them on the same team as us. Even now, they are after our lives." The Elder Toguro glanced at them, and then back to Akarenjya. "Both me and my brother love guys like that."**

"That takes 'keep your enemies closer' to a whole new meaning." Fox thought out loud. "A team composed of your enemies who are constantly trying to kill you. They're kept around for being strong, but they're not strong enough to break free."

"It forces you to stay at the top of your game." Vernal found the concept interesting, but dangerous.

Raven nodded, "One mistake, and you're done. Your team isn't there to support you, but to kill you at a moment of weakness."

"Something up your alley, Raven?" Qrow eyed his sister carefully.

"No. That's too detrimental. Even I have standards, little brother."

**He and Akarenjya locked eyes at each other, the latter breathing very heavily, but eventually conceded to his fate.**

"Now he's joining their ranks," Pyrrha said sadly.

**"That's more like it. However, there is one significant difference between me and my brother…" **

**He raised one finger, and Akarenjya looked up; realizing what the Elder Toguro intends to do. Wordlessly, the sharp nail of Toguro the Elder punctured Akarenjya through the skull, killing the demon.**

**"I often break my promises." The Elder Toguro's giggled manically. "You die, too!"**

Weiss trembled, "Not anymore…"

"He's a psychopath!" Neptune sharply gasped.

Cinder nodded in agreement. This man reminds her too much of Tyrian; only the scorpion faunus appears to be much tamer than this creepy midget.

**With his last opponent killed, the Elder Toguro licked the blood off his finger and started laughing. A high pitch, spine chilling laugh that could be heard throughout the stadium as the screen eliminated Team Gorenja from the semifinals. **

The screen cuts to black, ending the viewing.

"…" No one said a word, silently reeling from what they had witnessed.

"I am so glad we live in a civilized society and world. The Vytal Festival will never be as gruesome as that horrid Dark Tournament stuff." Weiss gently patted Oscar on the head, who appeared to be in a slight state of shock.

Cinder lips twitched a bit at the mention of the Vytal Festival. They have plans for the big events, and it won't be pretty for Salem's enemies.

Neptune pulled off his goggles and dropped them onto his seat's pocket. "That world is so messed up."

"Truly, they are demons." Port nodded gravely.

Glynda darkly poured herself a cup of tea, sharing it with Winter and Ironwood once again. "What will we be seeing next? Something less horrifying as this one, I hope?"

_"The pattern repeats itself, so it seems. Let's move on to the next viewing. We assure you that it will not be as gruesome as this one. Consider it an action movie."_

"I like action movies." Yang quietly said.

"Same here." Jaune turned to look at Nora. She was awfully docile, holding onto Ren's hand. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. Just… Needed some time to myself, you know." She weakly chuckled, while Ren quietly pampers her to calm her nerves.

_"Our apologies for causing many of your distress, but our perception of emotions and mental states is quite different."_

"And what happens if your unfamiliarity eventually damages us?" Winter coldly asked.

_"We are capable of mending or repairing minds. Now then, let's continue."_

* * *

**NEXT:** **Captain America: The Winter Soldier - Elevator Fight Scene/Escape**

**Changed rating from [T] to [M].**

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**Pardon my grammar, spelling, and sequences description.**

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**Another Note: I have posted some Concepts on my Profile page. If you're interested in what they are, come and check them out.**


	18. Captain America - Elevator Fight Scene

**I do read the comments, for the record.**

**On a side note, I will randomly start adding omakes and SHORT chapters on an irregular basis. **

* * *

**Looking for good World War 2 and World War 1, Resident Evil, Monster Hunter, and other interesting stuff further down the line. Saving Private Ryan has some difficulties, but I will be working on it.**

**Pardon my grammar.**

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**Captain America: The Winter Soldier - Elevator Fight and Escape Scene**

* * *

"Are you okay Oscar?" Ruby asked the young farm boy. He appears to be fine, too fine in fact and that worries them.

"I'm fine," Oscar assured her. "I uh… I'm used to this stuff."

Team RWBY and JNPR stared at him, eyes widen slightly.

"Wha…?"

Oscar quickly clarified. "Not like that! I mean, I worked at a farm. My aunt's farm specializes in crops, but sometimes I help out on the poultry. Gutting chickens and pigs for the farmers market or for food."

"Ah. That's right." Weiss realized that the humble occupation was often more tedious and messier than one would expect, especially from her perspective. "I suppose that would lessen the impact of that horrid viewing."

"Yeah…" Yang absentmindedly rested her head on her hand. "It's kinda scary that such a world exists."

"It does make you reconsider the things we took for granted." Blake quietly chowed down on her tuna sandwich.

"Hey, it's starting," Jaune called out and everyone went silent.

**"For whatever it's worth, you did your best." Alexander Pierce, the senior leader of S.H.I.E.L.D, dismissed one of their agents. A blond young woman named Sharon Carter.**

"Straight to the plot, huh?" Coco smirked.

**"Thank you, sir." As she turns to leave she sees Steve. "Captain Rogers."**

**"Neighbor." Steve Rogers, also known as Captain America, replies coldly as he walks towards Pierce.**

"Oooh, I sense romantic tension." Yang loves these kinds of cliché stuff in action movies. It can be annoying at times, but she has to appreciate some of the things it brings to the table. "You know they want each other."

"Interesting choice of clothing." Coco complimented Captain America's uniform.

Pyrrha eyed the superhero's iconic shield. "And the shield."

**"Ah, Captain. I'm Alexander Pierce."**

**"Sir, it's an honor." They shake hands.**

**"The honor is mine, Captain. My father served in the 101st. Come on in." They enter Pierce's office where he shows Steve an old photo of Fury with Pierce. "That photo was taken five years after Nick and I met. When I was at State Department in Bogota. ELN rebels took the embassy, and security got me out, but the rebels took hostages. Nick was deputy chief for the SHIELD station there. And he comes to me with a plan."**

"I presume SHIELD is a peacekeeping organization of some kind." Ironwood took a slight interest in the setting. They might learn a thing or two from them.

Winter chipped in. "And the ELN rebels appear to be terrorists of sorts. Sounds like they are pretty capable if they were able to take over an embassy."

Blake fidgeted at the mention of terrorists. Most of the original cause of terrorist was noble at the start, but eventually grow corrupted as they become delusional.

_"Correct."_

**He walked over towards the conference table and picked up a stack of papers. "He wants to storm the building through the sewers. I said, 'No, we'll negotiate.' Turned out the ELN didn't negotiate, so they put out a kill order. They stormed the basement, and what did they find? They find it empty." Alexander sat down on a cushioned seat; Steve followed suit. "Nick had ignored my direct order and carried out an unauthorized military operation on foreign soil. He saved the lives of a dozen political officers, including my daughter."**

Qrow lifted his flask at the screen. "Sounds like a good man. Screw protocols, right Jimmy?"

"I can't answer that," Ironwood replied. "It depends on the situation."

The general might not like people disobeying orders, but if the results happened to greatly favor them… Well, he can't truly punish them without giving out a few rewards first.

**"So, you gave him a promotion." Steve looked amused by it.**

**"I've never had any cause to regret it." Alexander briefly smiled, then returned to this professional demeanor. "Captain, why was Nick in your apartment last night?"**

"Sounds like their 'hero' is dead." Roman casually remarks, "How fitting for a typical paragon."

"Or, he could be hospitalized." Nora shot back, fixing the thief with a defiant glare.

**There was a look of hesitation on his face, shaking his head slightly. "I don't know."**

**A brief moment of silence. The air was tensed and awkward between the two men.**

**"You know it was bugged?"**

"Sounds like something from a spy movie." Jaune leaned in closer, already feeling the tension from the scene.

Sun and Neptune did the same, sharing the same enjoyment as Jaune.

**"I did," Steve looked at him straight in the eyes. "because Nick told me."**

**"Did he tell you he was the one who bugged it?" Steve doesn't reply, obviously not knowing this information. "I want you to see something." **

**Alexander brings up footage of Batroc being interrogated. Two SHIELD agents circled around the suspect, one standing close to the shaved man, while the other paced around the table like a shark.**

**"Who hired you, Batroc?" A SHIELD Agent interrogated the man.**

Winter raised an eyebrow. "Seems like they have a primary suspect already." She watched the second agent circling around the suspect, increasing the pressure in the integration room. "Interesting interrogation technique. Simple from afar, low effort, and potentially huge impact."

"Typical Atlesian." Qrow shook his head, "And you guys wonder why the faunus hates you."

"Everyone has their flaws, Qrow," Ozpin answered in place of Winter. "There are many obstacles that need to be worked out before we can reach an ideal world."

The 'villains' mentally scoffed at that.

**Steve turned to Alexander. "Is that live?"**

**"Yeah, they picked him up last night in a not-so-safe house in Algiers."**

"Hate it when that happens," Roman commented offhand.

**"Are you saying he's a suspect?" If that's the case, then something isn't quite right. The man is known for many things, but contract killing isn't one of them. "Assassination isn't Batroc's line." **

**"No, it's more complicated than that." He sorted through the paper and gave Steve a summary of what the investigation picked up. "Batroc was hired anonymously to attack the Lemurian Star and he was contacted by e-mail and paid by wire transfer. And then the money was run through seventeen fictitious accounts, the last one going to a holding company that was registered to a Jacob Veech."**

Cinder nodded at that. Salem's finances went through a similar process before any valuables could fall into their hands. The quickest way to obtain whatever they need is to retrieve it in person.

"Sounds tedious," Neptune said. "And seventeen times? Wouldn't transferring money too many times in a short period cause suspicion?"

Ironwood had the answer. "Not entirely. There's often a period in which money will stay there for a while before getting transfer to another account. If that doesn't happen, then it'll normally be structured like a loan or payment."

**An unfamiliar name. **

**"Am I supposed to know who that is?" **

**Alexander hands Steve the file. "Not likely. Veech died six years ago. His last address was 14-35 Elmhurst Drive. When I first met Nick, his mother lived at 14-37."**

"Now ain't that eye-popping?" Qrow mused.

**Steve looked at him with a disbelieving expression. "Are you saying Fury hired the pirates? Why?"**

**"The prevailing theory was that the hijacking was a cover for the acquisition and sale of classified intelligence." Alexander paused a bit. "The sale went sour and that led to Nick's death."**

**Another bout of silence.**

"Perhaps he wasn't much of a paragon." Roman rubbed his chin. "Every sale has its price and I wouldn't be surprised by backhand dealings with these lots. Just like the council has been doing from day one."

"Hey, everyone is bound to get their hands dirty." Qrow shrugged, earning some ire from his comrades.

Raven chuckled. "That we can agree on, little brother."

**"If you really knew Nick Fury you'd know that's not true." Steve stared at the floor, uncertain what to make of this prevailing theory SHIELD was coming up with. **

**Alexander nodded, "Why do you think we're talking?" Both he and Steve got up from their seats. Alexander walked towards the office windows to gaze out into the city while Steve remained where he stood. "See, I took a seat on the Council not because I wanted to but because Nick asked me to because we were both realists. We knew that despite all the diplomacy and the handshaking and the rhetoric, that to build a really better world sometimes means having to tear the old one down." He tapped on the window and glanced at Steve. "And that makes enemies." **

"That is very much true." Blake nodded. "If faunus wanted equal rights, everyone will have work together to tear down the structure that led to the exploitation of the faunus and that'll make a lot of people angry."

Roman rolled his eyes. "No one wants to hear your preaching, kitty."

"You wanna go, Roman?" Yang turned her entire body towards the thief and his little assistant.

"Let me join." Sun cracked his neck.

Neo grinned and raised her sign which read, "Round 2."

_"Violence is forbidden."_

The Hosts ensured that everyone sat back in their seats. Since they couldn't do much against their hated foes, they mentally growled at each other instead.

**He pulled away from the window and placed his hands in his pocket. "Those people that call you dirty because you got the guts to stick your hands in the mud and try to build something better. And the idea that those people could be happy today, makes me really, really angry." He silently stared at Steve, hesitating for a moment. "Captain, you were the last one to see Nick alive. I don't think that's an accident, and I don't think you do either. So, I'm gonna ask again. Why was he there?"**

**"He told me not to trust anyone." He replied.**

"Wise words." Roman grinned and felt him getting elbowed by Neo. "Except you."

Ozpin silently read in between the lines. "I wonder what caused him to say that?"

**"… I wonder if that included him."**

**Steve pauses a moment before replying. "I'm sorry. Those were his last words. Excuse me."**

**He picks up his shield, places it on his back and starts to make his out of the office. But before he could leave, Alexander has one last thing to say. **

**"Captain." Steve stops and looks at Alexander. "Somebody murdered my friend and I'm gonna find out why. Anyone gets in my way, they're gonna regret it. Anyone."**

**"Understood." Steve turns and leaves.**

"Vengeance at any costs?" Mercury crossed his arms. "Should be easy for the guy. He looks important, can pull a few strings to get things done."

"Sounds like most politicians and influential people," Blake grumbled.

Don't like the direction things are going? Target the people who're causing the problem. With their wealth and influence, it was easy to discredit or put down a movement. That was how the Faunus Civil Rights Protest and the White Fang spiral into violence. Their movement wasn't going anywhere, so the faunus turned towards something that was bound to send a message to their oppressors, violence.

"Sad, but true." Oobleck quietly said.

**/-/**

**After leaving Alexander Pierce's office, he steps into the elevator and put his hands on the rails, looking out from the glass windows. The skies were cloudy, and the city was calm. A stark contrast to what Steve was feeling inside.**

"The city looks nice." Oscar remarked, "And peaceful."

"It looks a bit off without any walls." Coco took her lollipop out of her mouth to speak. "Even villages have walls to fend off the Grimm. I guess these guys don't have that kind of problem."

**"Operations control."**

**"Confirmed." SHIELD's computer acknowledged his input and started closing the elevator doors. Just as the elevator doors are about to close, Brock Rumlow steps in with two STRIKE agents.**

**"Keep all STRIKE personnel on-site," Rumlow ordered the two agents, giving Steve a quick glance.**

**"Understood."**

**"Yes, sir."**

**"Forensics." Rumlow gave his destination to the SHIELD computer. Seeing that Steve is here, the STRIKE field commander decided to give him a courtesy greeting. "Cap." **

**Steve turned around. "Rumlow."**

**He greeted the commander and stood face forward, clasping his hand in front of him as the elevator doors close and they start riding down. They passed through several floors before Rumlow broke the silence.**

"The awkward elevator scene." Jaune knew his movies, more than he likes.

His partner seems to notice this, giving her an idea. Pyrrha leaned closer to Jaune and whispered, "Would you like to go to the movies with me on the weekends?"

He blinked, "Sure. Maybe our friends would like to join us as well."

Pyrrha, Ren, Nora, and one of the Hosts mentally facepalm. He really needs to take a hint.

**"Evidence Response found some fibers on the roof they want us to see. You want me to get the tac-team ready?"**

**"No, let's wait and see what it is first."**

**Rumlow nodded. "Right."**

**As the conversation died, Steve notices one of the agents touching his weapon suspiciously. The elevator stops, and more SHIELD and STRIKE agents enter. Aside from the briefcases they were carrying, these agents didn't look imposing; more like administrative workers. Their chatters droned out the footsteps that carried into the elevator, further crowding the small platform.**

They also felt that something was off. Even more so when one of the agents was grasping his weapon like he was about to draw it. There wasn't a need to be guarded like that unless there's danger nearby. If that's the case, then is their own headquarters compromised?

Yatsuhashi narrowed his eyes. "I suppose this is what 'don't trust anyone' meant."

"We're getting to the fight," Jaune stated with sureness.

"Can't wait." Yang grinned.

**"Administrations level."**

**"Confirmed."**

**"Excuse me." A SHIELD agent squeezed in next to Steve. **

**The elevator doors closed, and they started their descend. **

**Rumlow turned to Steve. "I'm sorry about what happened with Fury. Messed up, what happened to him."**

**"Thank you." Their brief conversation and interactions were becoming more awkward, but thankfully none of them said anything after that.**

"Awkward…" Tai commented.

"You were never good with strangers in the elevator," Raven said with a small smile.

"Hey. That's not true."

Yang turned to her mother and then to her father. "Really? No wonder you always take the stairs."

"Hush, I'm trying to watch over here." Nora interrupted their family bonding moment.

**However, Steve couldn't help but feel that something is off. He looked at the agents in the elevator and notices one of them is sweating, then the elevator stops, and more agents enter. Three burly agents paused at the crowded elevator before stepping in.**

**"Records."**

**"Confirmed."**

"It's really crowded in there." Cinder remarked, already knowing where this will go.

"No kidding," Qrow was smirking at Tai's discomfort.

**As the elevator doors close Steve realizes he's been surrounded by agents. He stared up thoughtfully at the roof of the elevator door and politely asked. **

**"Before we get started," He scanned the agents around him. "does anyone want to get out?"**

Yang snapped her fingers at Steve. "Now that's a badass one-liner."

Most of the students there nodded.

**There's a moment's pause before suddenly one of the agents turned and uses an electric rod to give Steve a shock, but the captain quickly deflected the attack, knocking the agent back. The others grab him, while they hit the emergency stop button to freeze the elevator. More agents wrestled and restrained Steve, electrocuting him with an electric rod.**

"Ha! I would have beaten them all if they did that." Nora's semblance allowed her to be supercharged by electricity. It would be a mistake for anyone to use electricity on her. Can't say the same for Captain America, however.

"Why are they attacking him?" Ruby questioned, "Aren't they on the same side?"

Winter hummed thoughtfully, "I believe he's their next suspect if their discussion back at the office was anything to go by." To be honest, she wasn't certain which direction this was going. It seems that there's more at play here than just an arrest warrant. "Judging by their weapons, they're there to restrain him."

**Two agents unclipped their magnetic cuffs from their briefcases and try to strap his wrists with magnetic cuffs. Steve fiercely struggle against the magnetic cuff while agents pushed his arm towards the nearest source of metal.**

Ironwood eyes lit a bit at the sight of the cleverly hidden magnetic cuffs. Those would be quite useful in string operations and undercover. He turned towards Winter and Penny, nodding at them to take notes down while he wrote down his own thoughts as well.

"Hm. Atlas could use those."

"Yes, sir."

"The guy is strong," Mercury noted how the agents were struggling to restrain the super-soldier. "Dude doesn't look much, but he's really pushing them back."

**With great strength and willpower, Steve managed to overwhelm the agents, knocking some of them down with a few hits. He palmed and elbowed two agents before dealing with the large man that was putting him in a headlock. Steve slammed his head back into the giant agent's head, temporarily stunning him. Using this opportunity, he grabbed the large agent by his arm and threw him onto the solid glass wall, cracking it.**

"Yeah, he's strong." Yang could admire the strength of the man. Without aura, that's an impressive feat, throwing a guy heavier than you over your shoulder. "Maybe not as strong as some of us, but he threw that big guy like he was nothing. I'm surprised the glass didn't break."

"It's most likely reinforced glass." Weiss gave her thoughts on it.

**Rumlow recovered and quickly kicked Steve still cuffed arm, knocking it onto a metal rail, pinning his arm to the metallic wall. Steve grabbed his cuffed arm and tried to pull, but it simply would not budge.**

"That magnet handcuff has a very strong attraction," Penny wrote that down. "Despite being able to bring down fully grown and trained adults in one hit, Captain Rogers is having difficulty breaking free from it."

On a side note, Penny will need to avoid such powerful magnets in the future. She'll have to bring it up with her father and uncle. Can't have her functions be wiped or damaged.

"Looks like he'll have to stick with it for now! Huh? Huh?" Yang grinned at her own puns and air high fived her father down a few rows below.

"Damn it, Yang." Qrow rubbed his forehead.

Raven echoed her brother's movement. "I knew I shouldn't have left her in your care."

**This was an opportunity for the STRIKE commander who took out his rod and swung it at Steve. The first attack was countered, sending Rumlow into the wall. However, Steve was still cuffed to the rails allowing Rumlow to electrocute him.**

"That looks painful." Jaune winced.

**Steve hissed with pain, eventually overcoming the electric rod and elbowed Rumlow. Another agent jumped in and took a swing at Steve, missing just so slightly, allowing Steve to retaliate by throwing him onto the ceiling camera, cracking part of its protective lens.**

"That has got to hurt," Coco said with a chill smile.

"An impressive display of combat skills." Glynda complimented, "Even in such a disadvantage situation, he's still able to defend himself without panicking."

"He moves like a veteran soldier." Ironwood analytically remarked.

He'd had seen several veteran soldiers move calculatedly and effectively on the fly as the situation calls for it. Some of them are capable of going toe to toe with professional huntsmen.

_"Captain Steve Rogers is a long-time veteran soldier. A super-soldier."_ The Hosts confirmed.

Ironwood took an interest at that. He wasn't certain of the process to create these super-soldiers, but it must require some enhancements that might raise some controversy if such a thing occurs in Remnant.

"That sounds… Interesting." He saw his colleagues looking at him. "It's simple sounds interesting. Nothing more to it."

**As Steve is being attacked we see Jasper Sitwell in a controls room watching them from a monitor. He lifted his mic and started barking out orders.**

**"Mobilize STRIKE units, 25th floor." **

**Back in the elevator, Steve redirected an electric rod causing an agent to shock his own teammate, knocking him out. He fended off several more attempts before jumping onto the wall, putting his weight into his entire body. His entire body trembled as he strained against the magnetic cuffs, eventually freeing himself.**

"Oh, friendly fire. Those things must pack a punch." Jaune never been electrocuted before and doesn't really intend on changing that anytime soon. "It must be his suit that's absorbing most of the electricity, or he could have a high pain tolerance."

**With both hands-frees, Steve began throwing the remaining agents around. Dispatching the last agent by backflipping him into the elevator door, he turns to Rumlow.**

"Nice throw, putting that momentum to use," Tai remembered doing something similar during sparring back in his youth. Only his opponent didn't go down in one go like the agent on-screen.

**"Whoa, big guy." Rumlow raised two hands, both clutching electric rods. "I just want you to know, Cap, this ain't personal!" **

**Rumlow then goes to attack Steve with his electric rods, managing to electrocute Steve twice before the super-soldier struck him across the face and threw him into the ceiling, knocking Rumlow out. **

**Steve took several deep breaths as he looked down on the unconscious Rumlow. "It's kind of feels personal."**

"Awesome." Neptune couldn't help but say that out loud.

"Oh yeah." Yang and Jaune nodded in agreement.

**He picks up his shield then opens the elevator doors but was instantly greeted by a team of STRIKE agents pointing their weapons at him.**

"Oh, crap."

Roman knows the drill. "No more playing around."

**"Drop the shield! Put your hands in the air!"**

**Steve spun and used his shield to break off the elevator wires which sends the elevator down. The elevator's emergency locks quickly activated, causing the falling elevator to come to a screeching halt. **

**He then forces the doors open and saw more STRIKE agents approaching him. With a grunt, Steve closes the elevator doors and looks for a way out. Looking out the window, he saw that the drop zone wasn't too high. There was even a glass roof for him to go through. **

**"Give it up, Rogers! Get that door open! You have nowhere to go!" The STRIKE agent's muffled voice could be heard behind the elevator doors.**

"He doesn't have aura right?" Jaune asked the Hosts.

_"Correct."_

"He's going to jump down there, isn't he?"

_"You shall see."_

Velvet recoiled. "No aura? From that height? He's going to get seriously injured, if not fatally so."

**Steve took a step back and breathed before breaking through the glass in the elevator, plummeting down through the glass ceiling. The people below shouted in surprise and took cover as he put his shield out in front of him and hit the floor with a loud clang.**

Everyone winced. A sudden stop against a solid ground with no aura is certainly painful. Surely some of his bone was broken in that fall.

"That is not a good landing strategy." Ozpin took a sip from his mug.

Ruby grimaced, "Is… Is he okay?"

**Groaning, Steve painfully picks himself up and starts running off.**

"He seems to be running just fine," Oscar noted.

Yang placed a hand on his shoulder. "Hey. I think you made a pun."

"No. He didn't." Ruby flatly denied it.

"Whoa. He's already running." Mercury was impressed. "What's this guy made out of?"

**From his, monitor Sitwell watches in shock as Steve gets up and starts running off. "Are you kidding me?" He hastily ordered the STRIKE team to prevent the super soldier's escape. "He's headed for the garage. Lockdown the bridge!"**

Emerald nodded at Sitwell's reaction. "My thoughts exactly."

"Looks like they didn't expect that as well." Said Cinder.

**The scene cuts to the garage closing down with massive metal gates. However, Steve rode out of the SHIELD garage on his motorcycle just in time and sped down the road towards freedom. Ahead of him, he saw the automated road defense system setting up multiple layers of spikes to prevent his escape.**

Yang sweated a bit by the sight of the massive spike strips. "Well, I know where I shouldn't be driving Bumblebee."

**Adding more obstacles to overcome, a Quinjet roared past Steve, hovering several meters above the road.**

**"Stand down, Captain Rogers. Stand down." The Quinjet lowers its minigun from its belly. "Repeat, stand down."**

"Whoa! That's a cool airship!" Ruby's eyes were sparkling at the aircraft.

"Interesting design." Winter started writing it down.

Ironwood nodded, "The engineers would certainly like to see this."

**Instead of slowing down, Steve hit the gas and accelerated towards the Quinjet. Seeing that he wasn't stopping, they started shooting at him, bullets struck the road, kicking up dust and debris. Steve skillfully weaved through the hail of bullets and threw his shield into the propellers to jam it.**

Pyrrha smiled, "Nice throw."

"How did he even get the shield to embed itself into the propellers?" Oscar found the physics of such a feat impossible.

Weiss gave him an open-ended answer. "He must have extensive training with it, similar to Pyrrha's."

"You haven't seen Pyrrha yet with her shield." Jaune nudged his partner with a grin, making her blush.

"It's… It's nothing that impressive."

**The engine let out a lowering whine as the Quinjet tilted to its damaged side, unbalanced by the sudden loss of its propellers. The pilots quickly regain balanced, but that allowed Steve to hit the brakes on his motorcycle, launching the super-soldier towards the Quinjet. He swiftly jumped over the pilot's cockpit, giving him an opportunity to do more damage to the jet. **

**Hopping towards his shield that was lodged within the propeller, Steve ripped it out of the Quinjet, unjamming it. The sudden restoration of the propeller caused the pilot to lose balance once more. The Quinjet suddenly jerked up towards the sky, nearly throwing Steve off. He tumbled off the plane but slammed his shield into the aircraft's wings, preventing his fall. Swinging his body, he and jumped back onto the Quinjet backside and eyed its weak spots.**

"His shield must be sharp to do that." Sun guessed, "Or he's just strong."

**With a grunt, he lugged his shield at the Quinjet tail and propulsion system, severely damaging the aircraft. Its tail side caught fire and the Quinjet spun out of control as Steve jumped off of the jet, letting it crash onto the bridge. **

**Steve watched his handy work before quickly making his escape. SHIELD has been compromised, and he needs to get out of there quickly.**

The screen darkens and the lights returned to the room.

The ones who love watching action movies were grinning.

"That was awesome." Yang sat back feeling better.

Jaune grinned, "Yup. And refreshing."

The gory screening, they saw early was long forgotten and they were back to their typical selves. The teenagers quickly resumed their chattering, recounting their favorite scenes that they saw just. Meanwhile, the adults were quietly doing their own things. Some were bored, others were just being themselves.

_"The next one is a fairy tale."_ That got Ozpin's inner circle and Raven's attention. _"A fairy tale that's told to wizard children."_ Ozpin, in particular, felt a bit on edge. _"In a world where great magic exists, this tale is one of many that carries over from forgotten eras."_

Raven shot Ozpin a sinister, but meaningful look.

However, the ancient wizard ignored the bandit queen. "What's it called?"

_"The Tale of Three Brothers."_

Everyone paused. It sounded like Remnant's fairy tale of 'The Tale of Two Brothers.' In their fairy tale, it told of two god-like brothers who created the world, including the Creatures of Grimm. One created life, the other created destruction. Only the humans, which they both created together, have the choice of choosing between creation and destruction. That was the basic summary of their fairy tale. Is this one similar?

_"This one is vastly different than the Tale of Two Brothers, we can assure you that."_

"Hm. Interesting." Ozpin took out his notebook he kept with him and placed it on his lap. "I just so happen to love hearing fairy tales. I was considering becoming a literature professor before."

Raven scowled and sat back in her chair. "Let's get this over with."

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**NEXT:** **Harry Potter - The Tale of Three Brothers**

**NOTICE: I will be randomly adding omakes featuring Team STRQ and others along with some SHORT chapters. Just putting that out there.**

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**Pardon my grammar, spelling, and sequences description.**

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**Another Note: I have posted some Concepts on my Profile page. If you're interested in what they are, come and check them out.**


	19. Harry Potter: The Tale of Three Brothers

**UBW Rune has been taken down at the request of the author.**

**Finding something for Hacksaw Ridge to introduce the cast to WW2. Saving Private Ryan is being worked on, but it's a huge pain so I might have to cut down some of the content... Maybe.**

**Wanted to do Beetlejuice for comedy, but I might have to recast certain portion of the script with the RWBY casts since I am unable to watch the play. Only hear the music and understand some of the content.**

**Just some thoughts. **

**Sorry this was late. I really wanted to do the Christmas Truce, but I was busy for the holidays.**

**Pardon my grammar.**

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**Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - The Tale of Three Brothers**

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"Speaking of fairy tales, my mother loves The Story of the Seasons." Pyrrha casually chatted with her teammates. Unbeknownst to them, Ozpin's inner circle, Raven, and Cinder's group sweated a bit at the mentioning of the four maidens.

"I feel that our Hosts is trying something," Ironwood grumbled under his breath.

Glynda seemed to take a more cautious approach, though she couldn't help but agreed with the Atlesian general. "Perhaps they are using us as a basis for the viewing."

"Plausible." Ozpin thoughtfully nodded, "We did see a few realities of Remnant, different ones, perhaps."

Ozpin's inner circle quietly ceased their conversation in favor of listening to the others around them, mainly their students. However, on the other spectrum; Raven's mood was slightly darkened. Her emotions further got complicated when Tai decided to sit near to the right of her, two seats away.

"What do you want, Tai?"

"Oh, nothing. I figured that I might as well…"

"I can hear the pun following up. Knock it off."

"Yes, ma'am." Tai sat straight in his chair, respectfully.

"Better."

Qrow rolled his eyes. "Oh great. Tai is still whipped by my sister. Time to drink the memory away."

His flask was intercepted by Maria's cane, who wagged her finger at him.

"No drinking." She raised her cane at the screen. "It's storytime."

In the seats behind them and slightly to the left, Qrow could see Winter sadistically smirking at him.

"I'm too old for this." The huntsman put away his flask and crossed his arms.

Maria snorted and struck him on the shoulder. "Get to my age."

"Yay! It's starting!"

**A lone crow was seen flying past a vine-covered stone tower. Its black wings took itself to the gray clouds above, leaving the tower for the world beyond. All that it left was a single feather fell from its body.**

Raven scoffed. "Qrow."

"Hey…"

**As the feather fell, a soft gentle voice, belonging to Hermione Granger; told an ancient tale. A fairy tale that's been told through generations of witches and wizards. **

**"There were once three brothers who were traveling along a lonely winding road at twilight." **

**The feather softly descended into a body of water, sending small ripples through the water. Sickly, pale yellow smoke started to coat the water, consuming the feather underneath the body of water and beginning the tale of the Three Brothers. **

**"In time, the brothers reached a river too treacherous to pass." **

**Bright silhouettes occupied the screen. Three puppet figures with exaggerated features were seen upside down on a terrain.**

"Shadow puppetry," Ozpin remembered the older times where puppets were used for storytelling and entertainment. "Rare to see any of those these days."

Oobleck smiled, "The wonders of the modern and past eras."

"It certainly brings back memories." Port nodded.

"Why are they upside down?" Nora tried to tilt her neck, but Ren stopped her before she was able to hurt herself.

"It's for visual effects, Nora."

**"But being learned in the magical arts, the three brothers simply waved their wands and made a bridge." **

**The camera slowly pans up as the three brothers waved their wands, revealing that it was just their reflection in the water river.**

"Oh. It's just their reflection in the water."

"Couldn't they just jump over the river, or use their magic to fly over it?" Ruby thought out loud on the matter. Magic, in her mind, was something akin to wielding Dust without using Dust. And much more as well.

"Magic is magic." Blake shrugged.

Cinder looked slightly annoyed. "Oh, you have no idea."

Magic is magic. Or weird for that matter. Neither she nor Salem expected the Fall Maiden's power to be split in two with the other half still remaining in the unconscious Fall Maiden. Could the same thing be applied to a semblance or aura? There are still many mysteries that the world has yet to explore or answer.

**Vines and roots slowly slithered their way towards both ledges on the opposite side of the river, coiling and mending together to form a solid bridge.**

"That looks convenient." Oscar could appreciate the aesthetic presentation since he never been to anything like a theater or puppet show before.

**"Before they could cross, however, they found their path blocked by a hooded figure."**

**The leaves of a giant elder tree that resides on the opposite side of the river started falling off in droves. Like it was blown off by powerful winds. These leaves started funneling to the center of the bridge, swirling into a vortex, materializing into a skeletal figure in ragged robes. **

**"It was Death, and he felt cheated."**

"That sounds bad." Jaune coughed, "And sudden."

"Most fairy tales are like that." Pyrrha patted his back to ease the coughing.

"Quite so." Ozpin agreed.

**One of the brothers raised his wand defensively, but quickly lowered his guard slightly as Death surveyed the brothers without making any hostile moves. **

**"Cheated because travelers would normally drown in the river," The personification of Death straighten himself and put his hand together in a sly manner. "but Death was cunning."**

"It always finds a way." Maria contemplates her own mortality seeing how old she was growing, not to mention her close brush with death at the hands of Tock. "What a sly bastard."

"No cursing." Qrow jokingly shot back.

The elderly woman gave him a flat stare. "I ain't letting no youngster tell me what to do."

**Death put one hand behind his back, extended an arm down to the ground, and bowed to the three brothers. **

**"He pretended to congratulate the three brothers on their magic and said that each should earn a prize for having been clever enough to evade him."**

"Charming." Roman noted.

"How does that help him?" Emerald had a confused look at Death's logic. Wouldn't it be easier to just kill them outright?

"It's Death." Mercury pointed out. "Creepy dude probably thinks weird. You know, beyond our understanding."

"… Look's like we might see this cunning plan of his." Cinder was slightly intrigued by how this deathly figure acts and thinks. "This prize of theirs might have strings attach to them, or extremely clever planning."

**He motioned his hands like a salesman proclaiming that they had won the lottery, luring the eldest brother of the three to come closer. The eldest brother, a bald looking puppet, put away his wand and bravely stepped forth towards Death.**

Coco snorted. "This guy walks like a douche."

"Swear! Oscar is here!"

"Um… I'm okay with swearing."

"It's not okay!"

"Right, right. My bad." Coco apologizes.

"He certainly has an attitude." Qrow couldn't help but agree with Coco's statement. The oldest brother seemed to act like he's a gift to the world. "Pretty bold of him to walk straight up to Death like that."

Raven nodded. "He's probably the first one to die."

**"The oldest asked for a wand more powerful than any in existence." The eldest brother acted with confidence and arrogance when asked what he wanted.**

"So, he's asking for a powerful weapon?" Ruby asked the Hosts.

_"In a sense, yes. A wand to a wizard is more than just a weapon and tool."_

"His body language certainly conveys that point." Glynda had to admire the puppetry conveying the personality of the brother without any words. Just body language. "Along with his demand for a powerful wand. I presume that these wands help channels their power much like my weapon?"

_"Correct."_

**And Death happily complied with his wish. **

**"So, Death fashioned him one from an elder tree that stood nearby." **

**Raising one hand over his palm in a pinching motion, Death started constructing the Elder Wand out of thin air. When he was done, Death gave the wand to the oldest brother, who took it looking awestricken.**

**The eldest brother held his new wand with amazement, walking away with his new prize to make way for this second oldest brother. Death watched the oldest brother walk away with two beady glowing eyes before turning his gaze towards the second brother.**

"That's an eerie look he's giving the brother." Jaune embarrassingly said. It was just a shadow puppet show for Pete's sake.

Maria nodded. "The hungry look Death gives certainly sets off one's primal fear."

"An allusion." Ozpin (somewhat) and Salem may be exempt from death for now. But Death is always watching.

**A puppet depicting a man with a pompadour hairstyle stood before Death, dressed in a fancy Victorian-like clothing. When asked what he wanted, the man placed a hand on his chin, pondering what he wanted from Death.**

"High-class snob is the vibe I'm getting." Qrow had quaffed down a large quantity amount of alcohol when no one was looking. "Reminds me of someone."

That someone is Jacques Schnee. The CEO of the Schnee Dust Company, and father to Winter and Weiss Schnee.

**"The second brother decided he wanted to humiliate Death even further…"**

**The man motioned his hands in a snobby manner, further telling the audience just what kind of person the second brother is.**

"Is he that stupid?" Weiss incredulously asked.

"Yeah. I don't think mocking Death is a good idea. Especially when it's literally there in your face with a personality of its own." Blake wasn't sure, but she wouldn't put it above people to do very stupid things like tempting Death.

Glynda shook her head disdainfully. "By far, one of the most foolish things to do."

"Death always gets the last laugh," Raven said monotonously, understanding that mortality has always their limit.

Unless you're Ozpin or Salem.

**"… And asked for the power to recall loved ones from the grave." **

**Death raised both hands and channeled his energy in-between them. A glowing white orb started to form, and with it soon materialized a diamond-shaped prism stone; the Resurrection Stone. **

**"So, Death plucked a stone from the river and offered it to him."**

Ruby and Yang silently pondered about such an item. If it exists, would they be willing to use it to recall Summer Rose? Ruby's biological and Yang's perceived mother? The remaining members of Team STRQ also shared the same thoughts as the two young sisters. Would they be willing to use it to bring back Summer Rose back to life, or should the dead stay dead?

"I wonder if there's a price for such an ability." Ozpin mused. "I doubt Death would allow the dead to come back to life just like that."

The Salem he once knew would stop at nothing to obtain something that powerful, just to bring his original incarnation back to life. Ozpin vanquished that thought. Alas, the ancient era in which the two spent together was long gone, and Salem was no longer who she once was.

**The second brother eagerly took it from Death. As the second brother started to leave, he and Death seemed to glare at one another, before Death turned his attention to the final youngest brother of the three. **

**"Finally, Death turned to the third brother." The third brother's puppet was depicted as a plain, average looking man. "A humble man, he asked for something that would allow him to go forth from that place…" The man spoke to Death respectfully, even bowing a bit with his hands out politely. "Without being followed by Death."**

"Ah yes. The humble protagonist." How many times had Roman heard these sorts of cliché stories? Fairy tales were guilty of this the most, but they tend to be old fashion and idealized. "Though I will have to admit. Unlike those other two, this one seems to understand that he's on Death high priority list."

"Can't be followed by Death? I can think of many people who would love that." Sun killed Roman's serious analysis, munching on his banana sweetened popcorns. "Neptune, want some?"

"No thanks."

**Death seemed to hesitate a bit, but he complied. Lifting his arm, Death cut a piece of his cloak from his skeletal arm, slicing the fabric with his sharp fingers. Small yellow flares sparked from the cloth when Death started cutting it, turning the darkened fabric into a translucent, starry cloak. **

**"And so, it was… That Death reluctantly handed over his own Cloak of Invisibility."**

"So, this Cloak of Invisibility lets him hide from everyone, including Death?" Yang asked the Hosts.

_"Correct."_

"Essentially, you're hiding from Death by avoiding being seen by anyone or anything, potentially limiting the number of dangers directed at you. Though dangers unintentionally initiated due to lack of visual contact might have a probable increase in death." Penny explained her logical views on how the Cloak of Invisibility works.

By avoiding danger, you're practically avoiding Death.

"Didn't thought of it like that." Sun scratched his head.

**The third brother humbly accepted the Cloak of Invisibility, bowing to Death once more as he left his presence. With the three brothers receiving their gifts, they crossed over the bridge to the other side of the river to reach their destination. **

**The background slowly darkened. **

**The three brothers were illuminated by their 'prize' that glowed with untapped energy and power. While the two oldest were busy staring at their items, the third brother placed the cloak over his head and disappeared into the dark, temporarily escaping from Death.**

"Best time to hide is now, huh?" Raven could admire that.

Qrow eyed his sister with glazed eyes, though he retains his consciousness and memory. "Speaking from experience, Rae?"

"I'll leave that for you to figure out, little brother." Raven dismisses her brother. "After you sort your drunk thoughts and alcohol addiction."

"Hey, I have my reasons."

"So does my mother," Winter mumbled.

Though their mother has a very good reason for taking up drinking, it still doesn't make it right for her to neglect her children. It's the biggest reason why Winter and Weiss despise alcohol.

**"The first brother traveled to a distant village…" A sinister glow was plastered over the eldest brother. The wand in his hand started to shine very brightly, and the brother swung it towards the screen. "… He killed a wizard with whom he had once quarreled." **

**The screen lit up as the eldest brother discharged his magic, a figure was seen falling through the blinding blast of magic. It was the wizard whom the eldest brother had quarreled. He fell dead to the floor, his body emitting black mists that quickly faded while the eldest brother stood over him in triumph.**

"I knew he was nothing but trouble." Glynda distastefully gave her thoughts on the eldest brother.

**"Drunk, with the power that the Elder Wand had given him, he bragged of his invincibility." He stared at the wand that had given him so much power and started swinging it around, showing off the Elder Wand that he holds.**

"Foolish." Raven shook her head.

Vernal smirked, "He shouldn't be bragging so much when that dinky thing is the source of his so-called invincibility."

"That's what she said." Yang took a jab at the bandit girl.

"Oh, grow up."

**The Elder Wand's light filled the room, transiting the viewers to the next scene. **

**"But that night, another wizard stole the wand…"**

"Uh, oh."

"He did deserve it." Blake didn't feel sorry for the bastard.

**A hand was seen hovering over the Elder Wand next to a lone lit candle. Its flickering flame shadowed the oldest brother, who had snuggled himself comfortably in his bed. The thief plucked the wand from the table, his shadow then formed over the oldest brother, a knife hovered over his sleeping figure. **

**"… And slit the brother's throat for good measure."**

Roman nodded slightly at that. "Tying up loose ends. No witness, no trail. A mystery that may never be solved."

**The flames slowly flickered out as the thief plunged his blade into the oldest brother's neck. The flames faded instantly as the first brother died with splotches of blood spattering the wall.**

**"And so, Death took the first brother for his own."**

"Called it." Raven knew the oldest one was going to die first. "His hubris is what lead him to his death."

Qrow rolled his eyes. "Like you?"

"Qrow…" Tai disapprovingly called out his good friend, taking a quick glance at how Yang reacted to that.

"I'm merely confident in my skills and abilities, not to the point of suicidal confidence." Raven brushed off Qrow's drunken dialogue.

"Death certainly is a crafty character." Cinder admired that sort of next-level play. "Using their own weaknesses, desires, confidence… He gave them their desired prizes and let it guide them to their death. To himself."

"Death is cunning." Ren slowly repeated. "Very cunning."

**The scene fades into black, transitioning to the next brother. The second brother.**

**"The second brother journeyed to his home where he took the stone and turned it thrice in hand." Light creaked into the pitch darkness, slowly illuminating the room of the next scene. The second brother let the stone hovered over his palm, turning it three times. "To his delight, the girl he'd once hoped to marry before her untimely death appeared before him."**

**A radiant, feminine puppet appeared in the darkness, dressed in her fancy ball gown dress. She danced, twirling, dipping, and singing to her heart content. But as her dancing and singing goes on, the girl started to slow a bit, her light slowly started to ebb away.**

"All this guy wanted was to see his crush?" Coco found that a bit sad. In a negative way since it sounded a bit one-sided.

Fox seemed to understand the direction Coco was going. "Let's not make an assumption. For all we know, they could have been together at one point."

"And there are many who would go through many difficulties just to bring their loved ones back," Maria stated, earning a mental nod from Ruby, Yang, Qrow, and Tai.

Mercury rested his head on his hand, looking bored. "I wonder how Death would take this guy."

**"Yet, soon she turned sad and cold, for she did not belong in the mortal world." **

**The second brother sat in his chair near a bright window, watching the girl he loved slowly lost her light. He clutched his face with grief, the curtains on his windows closed, turning the room into darkness.**

"I figured such an item isn't so easily used. There is a downside for the deceases." Ozpin muttered.

"Oh…" Ruby uttered a single word. "So, it's not permanent?"

Yang silently sighed and pulled her sister close to her. "Doesn't seem like it."

"How unfortunate, but that is the natural order." If Salem would just accept that, Remnant wouldn't be the Remnant of today. The direction of this world would have gone very differently.

**"Driven mad with hopeless longing, the second brother killed himself so as to join her."**

**As the last light faded from both the window and the girl, it quickly transpired to the second brother hanging himself in a dimly lit room.**

**"And so, Death took the second brother." **

**The noose around the second brother's corpse began tugging up into the ceiling. **

**Light poured down from the ceiling, as Death opened the second brother's home like a dollhouse, reeling in the second brother's corpse with a single hand like a puppet. Death disassembled the 'dollhouse' and snatched the second brother's corpse, holding it close to his chest like it was something precious.**

"A smooth transition and depiction of Death claiming his victim." Port complimented the scene. "I must say, it is a pity one doesn't see this sort of fine arts these days.

"Indeed. It certainly gives a unique impression that isn't easily found in the modern era."

Tai chuckled to himself. "Old coots."

Nearby, Raven smirked at Tai's remark. Just like old times.

**Death then began searching for the youngest and final brother of the three.**

**"As for the third brother, Death searched for many years but was never able to find him."**

**The background went into a time-lapse. The sun and moon rise and fall quickly. Sandstorms and mists clouded through days, months, and years. Still, Death kept searching for the third brother, never able to catch a single glimpse of the man. Every so often, the third brother would unveil himself to keep tabs on Death but never revealed himself to the reaper.**

"Everyone plays their own little hide and seek with death, it seems like sometimes they're too good at the game." It hits home for Maria, who sometimes felt she was still playing this lethal game of hide-and-seek. She may have survived Tock's assassination attempt, but her fear of dying has led her to abandon her role as the Grimm Reaper, a huntress. She was nothing but a disappointment.

"Survival is essentially just that, huh?" Emerald leaned back, wondering how lucky she was to meet Cinder. She owes the young woman her life.

Raven couldn't have said it any better.

**"Only when he attained a great age did the youngest brother…" Death paused and steadily turned towards a presence behind him. A young boy stood before Death, but that's not who Death was seeking. It was the third brother whom Death detected. "… Shed the Cloak of Invisibility and give it to his son."**

"Life goes on it seems. You live, age, then die."

Unless the individual is Salem, but Glynda didn't know that the Grimm Queen is immortal. As for Ozpin/Ozma. He'll still perish, but he'll move on to his next incarnation. It isn't exactly immortality, more of body-hopping.

"You can run from Death, but you can't run from time." Ironwood rubbed his chin. "There's a deeper, profound meaning in between the lines of this story. Many messages in fact."

Ozpin softly smiles and took a sip from his mug. "The wonders and lessons of a fairy tale."

**The third brother faded into view. He took off his cloak and put it around his son. The man took one last look to his son before welcoming Death.**

**"He then greeted Death as an old friend, and went with him gladly, departing this life as equals."**

**Death placed his hand on the third brother's shoulder and unfurl his wings, ready to take the third brother with him.**

Ruby was surprised by that. "He has wings?"

"Certain culture depicts the personification of Death with wings." Oobleck had studied ancient cultures and their beliefs, or what remained of them. Though some cultures survived to modern-day. "Death would carry the soul to the afterlife, using his wings to travel between the world of the living and dead."

**On cue, a large flock of crows that were sitting on the broken fences and trees also spread out their wings and flew with Death; escorting them to the afterlife.**

Qrow grimaced at that, reminding him of Summer Rose. His presence, like the crows on screen, is the harbinger of death. Sadden by this, he opened his flask and emptied it into his stomach. By his side, Maria notices the change in his demeanor but kept silent about it for the time being. It appears to be really personal.

**As Death took off, the third brother's son looked down sadly at the loss of his father and faded out of sight. One day, he may shed his Cloak of Invisibility and be reunited with his father.**

"Aw… Poor guy." Velvet's ears flopped a bit.

Ruby silently agreed, sympathizing with what the young boy was possibly going through.

**But for now, the Tale of The Three Brothers… **

**Comes to an end.**

The room slowly lit up, the viewing has ended.

Port thoughtfully hummed, "Death comes in three forms here. Murder, suicide, and natural causes."

"The first brother, the second brother, and the third brother. This tale seems to teach the meaning of life and death." Ozpin wisely nodded, writing the entire summary and possibly the whole tale into his notebook. "It also seems to teach the listeners how not to be brash, too emotionally dependent, incautious, or irresponsible."

"All in one." It certainly holds a lot of deep meaning compared to most tales Winter had heard.

Raven slightly sneered and decided to take a jab at Ozpin once more. "I supposed these three items of theirs is real?"

_"Correct. Though the tale of how those artifacts came to be is not entirely true to what was shown."_

"I wonder how much of Remnant's fairy tale is based on truth." Raven coolly stared at Ozpin.

The mood suddenly turned heavy as Raven and Ozpin stared down one another. The wizard held his ground, looking confident and sure of himself while Raven became more and more agitated. Everyone could see that something was up, something about fairy tales holding some truth to them.

And no one was more interested than Yang.

"Raven."

"Stay out of this." Raven huffed and crossed her arms. "It has nothing to do with you, Tai. Let's move on to the next already."

_"The next viewing might be disturbing on some levels. A fight to the death between users wielding unique weapons known as Imperial Arms or Teigu."_

"Tei… Gu?" Oobleck rolled the word around his tongue.

"This will be interesting." Mercury sat back. "What do you have for us, Hosts?"

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**NEXT: Akame ga Kill! - Zank vs Tatsumi and Akame**

**Looking to do more with Akame ga Kill! and Yu Yu Hakusho. World Trigger as well...**

**UBW Rune has been taken down at the request of the author.**

**Be patients with requests. **

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**Pardon my grammar, spelling, and sequences description.**


	20. SHORT: Meet Team CFVY - Coco Adel

**SHORT**

**Inspiration: Meet the Heavy [Team Fortress 2]**

**Based on short videos known as Meet the Team from a game know as TF2 (Team Fortress 2)**

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**SPECIAL THANKS to my friend who wrote this for me while I was injured.**

**Pardon our grammar.**

**EDIT: Fixed a misspelled word.**

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**Meet Team CFVY - Coco Adel**

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_"Before we move on to our regular viewings, please enjoy this short viewing."_

The entirety of the RWBY casts looked at the giant screen with a curious expression.

"This is new." Qrow leaned back in his chair. "Wonder what we'll be watching."

"Like our Hosts always say, 'you will see soon'." Nora tried her best to come up with a voice for the Hosts. Their voice, if they even have one, is indescribable. "What should I make them sound like? Robotic? Booming? Oh! Maybe… Sloths!"

Vernal stared at the thunderous girl like she's an escaped mental patient. "How did it escalate to that? Also, how does a sloth even talk?"

"You got a problem with sloths?"

The two girls got into a staring contest. Over something nonsensical and trivial no less.

"Vernal." Raven sighed. "Please don't stoop to their level."

The bandit girl broke the staring contest. "I can't believe I got myself into this."

"It's starting!" Ruby exclaimed, hoping that it's not one of those grim viewings.

**Static filled the screen for a brief moment, before flickering to life. An orange gloved hand partially covered the camera screen. A series of displays on the upper and lower side of the screen showcased the battery life and light filters.**

**To the side, a small red button along with the word 'REC' was blinking.**

"A video recording?"

Oscar blinked and focused his gaze on the screen. He then looked down at the orange gloves he was currently wearing. They looked exactly like the ones on the screen. "Those orange gloves look just like mines."

Ruby and Weiss leaned over him to catch a glimpse of his orange gloves.

"Huh, you're right." Ruby tilted her head. "I guess you're the one recording."

"I… Never really worked a recorder before." Being a farm boy in a rural area, Oscar never had the chance to interact with many of the technologies the city folks use.

**"Heeeey. You got it." A cool, feminine voice praised the person behind the camera. "Might want to move your fingers away from that glass part. Scroll won't be able to record anything but your hand."**

A surprised look formed on each member of Team CFVY. That sounded like Coco.

**The orange glove quickly shifted from view. "Sorry." The camera veered towards a girl with brown hair, shades, stylish clothing, and a black beret. "I, uh. Never used one before."**

"It's me." Coco blinked. "Huh, what are we filming over there? Looks like farm boy is with me for some reason." She cranked her neck back at Oscar and grinned, making a victory sign gesture. "Sup, kid."

"Um. Hi." He replied shyly, blushing.

Ruby giggled. He reminded her so much about herself when she started out the first few days at Beacon, being socially awkward.

**"We all have to start somewhere. No sweat." Coco waved her hand dismissively. "Let's get started, yeah?" She brought up her black handbag and shouldered a bandolier. "I guess this is the part where Velvet is going to put in that title card?" **

**The screen cuts to a well-detailed screen card displaying Coco's emblem and her weapon in its grandest form, followed by fanfare. **

_**"MEET COCO ADEL"**_

**A crossed-ax logo, Beacon Academy's logo, was stamped at the bottom center of the screen card. On the bottom right corner, a small scribble crediting Velvet as the creator was printed in cursive.**

"Fashion addicted girl is now a narcissist?" Neo's sign read.

"Meet Coco Adel?" Port scratched his head. "Is this some sort of Beacon Academy promotion or advertisement? I must say, such a simplistic, but detailed personalization of the screen card. Props to the designer, whom I assume is Miss Scarlatina."

Velvet inspected the title card on the screen. "It does look like something I would make as a hobby."

Coco's teammates, the student body, and all of Beacon's professors looked at the girl with them who is featuring in this viewing.

"Hold up. I, and by I, I mean this me and not that me; had nothing to do with this."

"Let's keep watching." Ozpin was slightly intrigued. "This seems interesting."

**The camera cuts back to Coco placing her purse on a durable table. The bandolier slung across her shoulder jingled softly as she sat down on a comfy chair. **

**"The name's Coco Adel. Fashionista extraordinaire." She lowered her shades and grinned. "And this…" Her handbag started disassembling itself, transforming into a gigantic minigun. In the midst of the transformation, Oscar could be heard yelping with surprise. "Is my weapon!"**

"Oooh." Ruby was hooked in already. "Tell me more."

"Ha! Like what you see?" Coco teased.

**Coco's weapon was laid out on the table in its fullest display. The fashionista patted the barrel of her minigun covetously, rocking it back and forth. "She weighs one hundred fifty kilograms and fires two hundred liens, custom-tooled cartridges at ten thousand rounds per minute." **

**She tugged at the bandolier on her shoulder upon mentioning the cartridges.**

"Whooooa. So cool." Ruby's eyes sparkled, before quickly dimming when she started to comprehend the costs of just the bullets. "Wait! Really?!"

Everyone felt their mouth dropped by the hefty price for Coco's weapon upkeep, Weiss included.

Even Coco looked surprised by that, stunned into silence. Unless her other self is crazy successful, or just crazy, her weapon does not have that kind of price tag on its upkeep.

Roman spurted out his drink. "That's one high maintenance weapon."

**She then turned her gaze towards Oscar and looked at him intently. "It costs four hundred thousand liens to fire this weapon… For twelve seconds."**

Weiss gulped. That sort of upkeep would drain the SDC all of their budgets within days. "No way."

"That is so not worth using," Yang said in horror.

**He may be off-screen, but one could tell Oscar's jaw dropped upon hearing the costs of just firing the weapon. This weapon, if Coco was telling the truth, was essentially a debt maker! **

**"R-really?" Oscar gasped. **

**Coco's serious expression started to crack. "Pffft! No!" She burst out laughing, kneeling over while holding her sides like it was the funniest joke she had ever told. "Oh my god…" She wiped a tear off her face. "Your face. Oh man, Yang wasn't kidding when she said you were fun to tease."**

"I nearly had a heart attack." Coco wheezed. "I thought other-me went off the deep end there. Whew."

"I blame Yang for this." Blake monotonously threw her partner under the bus.

"What did I do?!"

"You give bad advice."

Oscar frowned. "What's the average cost in repairing and maintaining your weapons?"

If he can recall, huntsmen and huntresses wield unique weapons of their designs to suit their fighting styles or needs. Unlike mass-produced or custom-made weapons, their weapons tend to have mechanisms that are one-of-a-kind. In other words, if they were to try and replace or repair their weapons, it would be difficult and most likely expensive. Ordering custom made parts, utilizing workshops, etc.

"Well, it depends on what you have since everyone mostly builds their own weapons," Ruby replied.

Glynda nodded in agreement. "The average costs of upkeep are essentially nonexistent. My weapon, for example barely has any upkeep at all."

A riding crop doesn't need much maintenance.

"Oh. Cool."

**"Well, I'm sorry for being fun to tease," Oscar grumbled. **

**"Aw, cheer up kid. Jokes aside, I just remember that I have to check on…" As she turned the barrel of her minigun, something caught her eyes. "Something…" Frowning, she pushed her face very close to the unseen side of the minigun's barrel. "Oh my god, who touched Gianduja?!" **

**Her expression went dark and menacing.**

"Oh no." Fox groaned.

Velvet's ears flopped down onto her head. "Not again."

"Someone touched my stuff?" Coco's voice was laced with venom.

Yang nervously looked at the exasperated fashionista. "And I thought Ruby was bad."

"What was that, Yang?"

"Nothing!"

**"Is… Something wrong?" **

**"Alright. Everything is alright." Coco hissed; her face was twitching just so slightly. "Oscar. Cover your ears. I'll be right back." **

**"Uh, okay." The camera was set down gently on the table, followed by clothing ruffling and footsteps shuffling.**

_"We are lowering the volume for this part."_

"I'm not that bad." Coco's eyes were wide with surprise. "Am I?"

Team CFVY, minus Coco, all glanced at Fox. The quiet young man awkwardly coughed, refusing to remark on that statement.

"That sounds bad." Sun looked very concerned.

**After a brief moment of silence, a very loud roar could be heard across the campus. "WHO THE FUCK TOUCHED MY GUN?!"**

"Gah!" Velvet and Blake winced at the thunderous bellow, though it didn't hurt them; merely startling them.

**The camera screen spazzed out from the soundwaves, the interface flickering and glitching. Every furniture in the room violently trembled before the camera cuts to a colorful, technical difficulty card. **

**_"TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES. PLEASE STAND BY."_ **

"Jeez, kiddo." Tai looked very impressed. "I think you broke the sound barrier."

The girl in question looked uncomfortable, uncertain if she should take that as a compliment or something.

Glynda slowly turned her head towards Coco. "Miss Adel. Language and indoor voices, please."

Coco saluted out of fear and respect. "Yes, ma'am."

**A beeping sound could be heard as the camera rebooted to the next scene.**

Mercury leaned in closer to Emerald. "Ten liens the next scene isn't going to be pretty."

"Switch bets and it's a deal."

**Coco sat on atop of her bed, looking very peeved. "Some people think they can outsmart me; mess with my designer clothes, scratch my weapon, and get away with it." For a brief moment, Coco's face was tranquil. "Maybe…" She sniffed. "Maybe." **

**She looked at the camera. Her eyes were burning with a mischievous, destructive glint.**

Velvet whimpered. "She has that look!"

"What look?" Jaune quizzically asked.

"Yeah, what look?" Coco demanded to know what Velvet means by that.

The boys in Team CFVY facepalmed. "You'll see what she means…"

**A single bullet labeled 'DANGER' was held up close to the camera. "I've yet to meet one that can outsmart bullet."**

The sound of neck bones bending could be heard from Glynda as she turned towards Coco Adel.

"Uh, oh." Oscar shrank into his seat.

Coco swallowed her saliva. "Professor Goodwitch. For the record, I had nothing to do with this."

**An audible gulp could be heard from Oscar behind the camera. "C-C-Coco? Coco?!" **

**The sound of Gianduja revving up is heard, and the viewers were greeted to a heavily destroyed Beacon with Coco unleashing destruction upon the opposing dormitory wings. **

**"HAHAHA! CRY SOME MORE!" Coco laughed loudly over the deafening roar of her minigun. **

**Her eyes were maniacal, her lips barred into a savage, bloodthirsty grin. Coco relished every single moment of this, laying waste to the campus. Each bullet that struck something erupted into a devastating explosion, pulverizing the material out of existence.**

Ozpin dropped his mug.

Qrow his flask.

Maria her cane

And Neo her sign.

The 'villains' of the group stared in awe at the destruction of Beacon Academy. Two particular women were starstruck by the scene; Cinder and Raven. The school wasn't destroyed by Grimm or criminals, it was being destroyed inside out by a student!

Raven couldn't suppress her giggling. "I like this girl. She really needs to be in our tribe."

"T-the school." Pyrrha sputtered.

Coco pushed her shades closer to her eyes and her beret over her face. "Oooooh, man. I am so screwed."

"That went from zero to a hundred." Qrow looked shell-shocked.

**Coco swung her body, directing the minigun towards a section of the campus that's less destroyed than the rest. Swinging around her waist was poor Oscar, desperately trying to stop the fashionista from destroying the academy. **

**"Stop!" Oscar pleaded to no avail.**

"I feel sorry for the boy." Winter saluted the boy for his bravery. "You deserve a medal."

Ironwood nodded, feeling that the boy deserves more than just a medal. He started to shake Ozpin out of his stupor but froze when he saw what happens next on the screen.

**Oscar's pupils shrunk a bit when Glynda Goodwitch dropped from the sky. The stern deputy was giving them a fierce death glare. She was clearly enraged. Debris around her was swept up into the air, spinning at high velocity in the air like a tornado.**

"Oh shit." Qrow didn't want to see what happens next when Glynda gets her hand on the poor girl. "This ain't pretty."

"Nothing about this is pretty." Maria laughed.

**With a quick flick of her riding crop, Coco and Oscar were jolted into the air. **

**Gianduja was torn away from Coco, preventing her from reaching it. Glynda then pointed a finger at Oscar and pulled him away with her semblance so she could deliver proper punishment to the girl.**

**"Coco. Adel!" Glynda's voice oozed with fury and hatred.**

Coco was silently praying to her counterpart to not make things worse. "Don't say something stupid. Don't say or do something stupid."

**"I literally have no regrets." Coco looked at peace with her decision.**

Sun looked haunted. "You just sealed your fate."

"Damn it!"

**"DETENTION!" **

**She threw the girl into the ground with such force, that the camera sitting on the bench nearby flew high into the sky from the impact.**

"Detention?" Winter coughed. "I would have chosen expulsion and imprisonment."

**The camera cuts to black. **

**"YOLO!" Coco's muffled voice could be heard from the darkness.**

"Why are you still talking?!"

"Defiant till the end. Damn girl, you got game." Raven praised the fashionista. "Live young, die hard."

Coco could feel the piercing glare from Glynda Goodwitch. "Don't make this worse for me."

Luckily, Glynda's colleague had enough common sense to dissuade the deputy from taking any actions against her. It may have happened in another reality, but the Coco here is innocent. Well, maybe not those few times where the fashionista lost her temper…

**A valiant ending fanfare started playing as it cuts to Team CFVY posing in front of an ancient temple in Emerald Forest.**

Everyone went quiet as the viewing ended.

"That was something." Jaune bravely broke the silence with a stutter.

Mercury nodded, "No kidding."

"I am innocent. I swear." Coco proclaimed her innocence. "I've been here this entire time. Next please!"

_"Moving on then."_

* * *

**Pardon our grammar.**


	21. Akame ga Kill - Akame & Tatsumi vs Zank

**It feels that life is always against me. Tons of classwork, people needing my assistance, injuries not healing properly.**

**Sorry for the delay. All of my stories might be left cold with the universities starting up again.**

**Pardon my grammar.**

* * *

**Akame ga Kill - Akame & Tatsumi vs Zank**

* * *

_"This world takes place in a declining empire. An empire now racked with decadences. The people of this world may not possess aura or semblance, but they are a force to be reckoned with. Death and bloodshed will be shown. You have been warned."_

"Yes, yes. The world is full of corruption, let's get on with it. I'm sure everyone here can stomach this considering some of our previous viewings." Every society and government have their own shady backhands dealing. Something Roman is very well aware of.

"This will be interesting to watch." Raven huffed.

The lights in the theater started to dim.

Mercury slunk into his chair and put his legs on the seat's footrest. "It's starting."

**The scene spans out to a sleepy city. **

**Dark blue skies and fluffy clouds decorated the darkening skies as night begins to descend upon the city. Light sources were plentiful, streetlamps and few house lights kept the city bright, though not many citizens dare venture out at night. The only people out and about in the night are the city guards and a few unsavory people. **

**But it isn't just that. The Empire is horribly corrupt with authorities turning a blind eye to crime and in some cases, be a part of it. And a serial killer who is known as Zank the Beheader has been prowling the city.**

Oobleck rubbed his chin. "Hm. Their buildings bare some similarity to Mistralian architecture."

"Quite a lovely down." Port complimented.

**"Say, Akame. Can I ask you something?"**

**"Don't worry. I've brought emergency rations."**

**It was an odd sight. Two teenagers, Akame and Tatsumi, walked through the lit streets, patrolling the city for the serial killer. **

**Akame is a raven-haired girl with red eyes, dressed in a sleeveless black uniform and red tie.**

"It's a mini Raven." Qrow smirked, "Eye, hair, dress… Even her armlet and weapon."

"She does look like her." Tai nodded, "A sibling of yours?"

"No."

"I don't think I can stand looking after a younger sister if she's anything like Raven." He shuddered at the thought of two Ravens tormenting him.

Raven rolled her eyes.

**Tatsumi is a brown-haired boy with bright green eyes and dressed in casual clothing along with a knee-length jacket. **

**"… That's isn't what I meant." Tatsumi found Akame's obsession with food amusing and perplexing at times. The two of them paused on the street. "Even the slightest scratch from that blade is fatal, right?"**

"What is he talking about?" Jaune quietly asked no one in particular.

"Her sword must be poisonous or something." Vernal gave her thoughts on it. "Not entirely a common thing since poison doesn't work well on Grimm. Unless you're hunting people, in which case it's another story."

Ruby crossed her arms at that. "That's bad."

"There's no rule against it."

**He was referring to Akame's Teigu or Imperial Arm that's named Murasame. A red handle katana that's protectively sheathed by a red scabbard. **

**Akame glanced down at her weapon. "That's right."**

Vernal smirked. "Called it."

**A brief flashback of Akame stabbing Tatsumi squared in the chest comes back to their mind. Fortunately, Tatsumi was protected by the idol he had hidden on him that took the attack for him.**

**Tatsumi turned pale, making a funny face. "I'm amazed I'm still alive."**

"I am guessing that's the first time they met." Fox chuckled a bit. "She must have made an impression on him."

"I'll say." Coco slapped him on the shoulder.

"And a close brush with death," Blake added.

**"I've had this blade for some time now," Akame explained to her partner. "It's become quite infamous as the 'One Cut Killer.'"**

Qrow raised an eyebrow. "What's her poison?"

"Nice one." Yang gave her uncle a thumbs up for the alcohol pun.

"Thanks…"

**"Isn't it bad for you if people know that? Not that there are any weaknesses they could use against you."**

**"Actually, this sword does have a weakness."**

**He leaned closer. "Like what?"**

**Akame lifted her katana to her face. "Maintaining it is nerve-racking." A brief glimpse of her carefully cleaning her katana appeared on-screen. "If you so much nick your fingers, you're dead."**

**Tatsumi seemed disturbed by that. "Right."**

"A double-edged sword." Cinder remarked, "I wonder what kind of poison she uses. It sounds extremely potent."

"Especially if she doesn't have any aura to protect herself." Yang frowned at the usage of poisoned weapons. If she can recount some of her uncle's stories, people who poisoned their weapons are often geared towards killing people than Grimm. "She looks like she's around our age. I wonder why she needs something like that."

Mercury shrugged, "Gotta protect yourself. Didn't our Hosts say that the place they're living in is horribly corrupted? And she seems to have a title associated with her weapon."

**"And unless you actually cut your opponent's skin, the curse won't take effect."**

**The image of an armored figure came up to Tatsumi's mind.**

Penny hummed, "There's something off about that armor. I am uncertain about my reasoning."

"Really?"

"Oh yes. It feels alive somehow. How odd."

**"So, someone totally covered in armor like Bro might pose a problem." **

**"In this world, one cut usually kills, poison or not." She continued, staring intently at her weapon. "I try not to rely too heavily on the power of my Imperial Arm."**

Glynda nodded, "You shouldn't always rely on your weapons. It's your training and skills that matter the most."

"A single cut usually kills… That's an interesting philosophy." Raven etched that in her head. Getting cut in a fight to the death normally means your chances of getting killed has been amplified.

"Imperial Arms? Oh yeah! The Hosts said something about that! What are they?" Ruby asked the Hosts, eyes glimmering with excitement. "They sound cool."

_"Imperial Arms are powerful relics that can only be wielded by the strongest warriors. Or those that the relics themselves see fit to wield them. They were created by the Empire with the greatest thinkers, scientists, and many other intellects."_

"Whoa."

"That sounds interesting." Ozpin mused.

Ironwood wrote something down in his notes.

**Tatsumi silently watched her. _"She must be around my age."_ He thought to himself. _"I wonder how much bloodshed Akame has endured until now."_**

**The two ceased their conversation and continued their patrol.**

"She must have an unpleasant past," Winter noted.

Qrow took a sig out of his flask. "That's a given considering what her overpowered weapon is called. How did she get her hands on one in the first place? Something to think about."

**The scene shifts to a figure standing atop a tall building. This person is the serial killer, Zank the Beheader.**

**The large glistering green eyepiece that's mounted on Zank's forehead reflected the two teenage assassins walking down the streets. Eyes hidden in the shadow, part of Zank's face was illuminated by the streetlights, shrouding his murderous expression in the darkness.**

**Seeing the two young teenagers, his lips draw into a wide slasher grin.**

"Stranger danger!" Nora pointed at the screen. "Crazy danger!"

"I think she's the crazy one here," Roman muttered under his breath.

Jaune looked concerned for the Akame and Tatsumi. "I got a bad feeling about this."

**"Looks like some assassins are here to join in the killing," Zank said. "What a violent city. Splendid. Simply splendid." The green eyepiece, known as Spectator, surveyed the assassin group known as Night Raid. "Night Raid? I wonder whose head I'll take first."**

"Assassins? Night Raid?" Mercury became slightly invested when Zank mentioned assassins. "Night Raid must be their group name, and those guys are the assassins?"

_"Correct."_

**He flickered through the pairs of Night Raid's members before settling on a young man with green eyes and brown hair, Tatsumi. "Oh! Look at those eyes filled with passion and a sense of duty. Admirable. Absolutely admirable." Zank snapped his gloved fingers. "That settles it! I'll have the most delicious one first!" **

**Zank covered Spectator with a crazed, grinning expression. His eyes shone brightly in the darkening sky as he planned his next move.**

"A psychopath," Winter grumbled, already getting slight chills from the serial killer. "And a dangerous one if my instincts were to go by. Who is that?"

_"Zank the Beheader, or Executioner, depending on what they call him. He is a dangerous serial killer who has claimed numerous victims."_

"How atrocious."

"…"

"Something wrong, General?"

"Nothing, it reminds me of an incident. Several in fact." That incident involved a serial killer named Tyrian Callows. A crazed scorpion faunus that went missing when the prison convoy was attacked by Grimm.

Cinder mentally nodded at Ironwood's remark. This crazed murderer on-screen also reminded her of Tyrian.

**/-/**

**Akame and Tatsumi sat on a wooden bench outside a restaurant. The night had dragged on and the serial killer hasn't made a move. If he did, they certainly weren't aware of it. **

**The two assassins absentmindedly enjoyed their drink and food. **

**"Seems he won't show himself so easily." Tatsumi looked bored. "I guess we'll just have to be patient." He set down his drink. "Excuse me for a minute."**

"I was wondering what these kids were doing out at night with no one around." Tai found it rather suspicious that two young adults were roaming the near-empty street unless it was a secret date or something of that matter. "Given that it's been confirmed that they are assassins, they must be searching for their target."

"Who's the unlucky fellow?" Neo grinned, holding up her sign.

**He got up from the bench and began searching for the nearest alleyway. **

**"Going to the bathroom?" Akame asked.**

**Tatsumi awkwardly paused.**

Coco chuckled, "Got called out on it, but no shame in that."

**/-/**

**The scene skips to a steaming gutter and the sound of running liquid.**

"That's disgusting!" Weiss blanched. "Is that the public lavatory? Out in the alleyway?!"

Oobleck pushed up his glasses, "I can't say for certain, but it seems he's simply relieving himself at a convenient location rather than the public utilities."

"Still…!"

**Tatsumi sighed as he zipped up his trousers. "My nerves are killing me." Just when he was about to leave, he heard shuffling sounds behind him. Turning around, he saw a familiar smiling girl with dark hair decorated with a pink ribbon. "Sayo…" Tatsumi looked shocked. The girl turned and began running down the alleyway. "Ah! W-wait!"**

**He chased after her.**

Yang gulped, "I've seen enough slasher films to know where this is going."

"You would think that he'll be smart enough to know something is off." Glynda gave her blunt assessment.

"That girl must mean a lot to him," Qrow observed, wondering how he and Tai would react if it was Summer. "Still, acting on emotions isn't always a good thing. You hear that kiddos?"

"Yes, we heard that uncle Qrow."

**"You're late, Tatsumi." Akame appeared around the corner, pausing when she saw that Tatsumi was missing. Only an empty alley.**

**Akame narrowed her eyes suspiciously. Something's not right.**

**/-/**

**Tatsumi chased Sayo into a wide-open city square. An area that is infamous for the public to witness the public execution of dissidents, along with any unfortunate individuals the Empire felt like killing.**

**The city square was pale blue, but the moon above shone a pale crimson.**

**Zank the Beheader stood before Tatsumi, leading him out into the execution ground where the man would claim his victim.**

**However, from Tatsumi's perspective, the person in front of him was his childhood friend, Sayo.**

"He can't see him?" Oscar felt his anxiety levels rising. From the corner of his eyes, he could see Ruby's hand hovering nearby, ready to cover his eyes.

"The girl he is seeing must be an illusion." Glynda clenched her hands, but not too tightly. "He must have an ability where he can pass himself off as another person."

Neo, Emerald, and their associates smirked at that.

**"No doubt about it. It's Sayo." Catching his breath, Tatsumi edged closer towards the illusion with his arms open wide. "What the heck? You were alive after all?" He gently wrapped his arms around the illusion, looking relieved. "Well, I'm glad to see you again."**

"I can't watch." Ruby covered her eyes instead.

Mercury rolled his eyes at Ruby's sacredly cat tendencies. '_What a baby.'_

**The illusionary Sayo vanished, replacing her with a towering Zank.**

**The serial killer viciously grinned. "I could feel the love in the air." Tatsumi opened his eyes in alarm, aware that he's not alone with Sayo. "Looks like I showed you something rather special." Zank's soon to be victim slowly glanced up. Zank grinned at Tatsumi, the crimson moon gleamed overhead. "Good evening."**

**Tatsumi released Zank and recoiled in disgust. "Sayo turned into an old weirdo!"**

Mercury laughed a bit at that. "That's a mood killer right there."

"He didn't go for the kill." Neo's sign read.

"I don't think this guy is right in his mind, Neo. Just look at his expression." Roman knows an unstable person when he sees one. "His mind isn't there."

**"I have a name, you know." Zank raised both of his arms. "A friendly nickname, if you will." Two blades shot out from his sleeves. "Zank the Beheader!"**

**Gritting his teeth, Tatsumi drew his sword with angry vigor. "You're… Zank the Beheader!"**

**The number of murders this man had committed cannot be ignored and he'll be damned if he let Zank get away.**

Neo shook her head and lifted her sign. "No duh."

"Thank you, captain obvious." Vernal flatly said.

**"Hmm… You could try to hold out until your partner turn up, but do you stand a chance against this foe?" Zank pointed his blade at Tatsumi, grinning. "That's what you thought, isn't it?"**

**The young assassin looked shocked.**

Pyrrha frowned, "He can read minds?"

"It looks like it." Ren calmly watched the screen.

**_"What?! Did he read my thoughts?"_ He suddenly noticed a green eyeball headpiece that's attached to Zank's forehead. _"Is that eye an Imperial Arms?"_**

**"Bingo!" Zank cheerfully chimed. "The Imperial Arms Spectator! One of its five visionary powers, Perceptive Sight. I can tell my opponent's thoughts just by looking at their expression!" He continued listing out his Imperial Arms capabilities. "My observations are sharp to the ultimate degree. Want a shrunken head as a reward?"**

**"Like hell! But man, you sure talk a lot."**

"Wait, so that's the thing that allows him to read minds?" Jaune pointed at the device latched onto Zank's head. "Does that mean the illusion earlier is also from that Imperial Arm thing?"

"That would be a reasonable deduction." Pyrrha shared his concerned look.

"That aside, the kid's right." Qrow set aside his drink. "This man talks a lot." He narrowed his eyes. "But seeing what this Imperial Arm of his is capable of, talking can get a lot out of his opponent."

"Especially when they don't have to talk. Merely think." It would be a crafty method, but Raven could respect that.

**"Well, my hobby is to talk." Zank continued his rambling. "By the way, I found you with the power of my Far Sight." While he droned on, Tatsumi tensed up, ready to strike. "Even at night or in fog," Tatsumi dashed towards Zank. "I can see through things extremely far away!"**

**Tatsumi's blade flashed, missing Zank a few inches. Rocks and dust kicked up into the air as Tatsumi sunk his hand into the floor to stop his momentum.**

**"This is splendid!" Zank whooped. "You thought if you attacked while I was talking, something would come of it?" He tapped on his Imperial Arm. "Impossible… Impossible. I can see everything within your heart."**

"Unconventional but justified." Ironwood scowled, "Illusions, mind reading… He's well covered enough to not worried about any surprise attacks."

"If he was sane enough, he would have ended it right there." Qrow felt his colleagues staring at him. "Err, just my thoughts on it. A habit."

"How interesting." Cinder remembered how Salem is able to create her glove that she used to absorbed half of the Fall Maiden's power. Could the Queen of Grimm create an item similar to this? If not, can Watts? She may despise the man, but if she can get him interested in developing such a powerful tool…

**Letting out a roar, Tatsumi charged towards his opponent, raising his sword over his head.**

**Zank grinned and charged forth as well. "You'll take a huge step, then swing from above…" He dodged the overhead swing at the last second. "Then strike up," Zank's blades crossed, blocking the heavy strike that sent showers of orange sparks into the air. "which was a fake, to aim for my throat!" Time slowed as Tatsumi thrust his sword at Zank's throat, only for the serial killer to duck and slashed at his abdomen. "That's what you thought, wasn't it?"**

**Blood sputtered through the air and coated the ground while Tatsumi had an astonished and pained look. Sinking to the ground, Tatsumi clutched his wound. A large quantity of blood spilled from the gash Zank inflicted upon him.**

Ruby, Jaune, and Weiss paled considerably at the sight of blood being spilled.

"He read all of his attacks." Tai made a grave expression, disliking how much of edge these Imperial Arms give to their users. "And the lad is wounded. That looks deep."

Ozpin nodded. "The odds are stack against him."

**Tatsumi reevaluated his dire situation while Zank stood over him, looking ecstatic._ "He's far stronger than others I've fought."_**

**"The expression on the person's face when you chop their head off is irresistibly amazing!" Zank can't help but talk, it's a coping mechanism. However, it gives his opponents time to plan out their actions, not that it always helps them. "The most common is the blank stare and they always say, 'Eh?'"**

Yang snarled, "This sicko."

Neo rapped her armrest, tapping another with her sign. "You get those here and there."

"He's giving too much information away." Raven narrowed her eyes, "But I don't know if he's telling the truth or trying for an angle where it'll be in his favor; seeing what that eye thing can do."

"Any thoughts his opponents have will be read." Tai scowled, "If anything, he's trying to gauge how they'll adjust in response to this information he dropped. If he can read their minds, he'll be covering any weaknesses the maniac hasn't considered. Countering the counter."

"No fair," Ruby whispered.

**Tatsumi gritted his teeth, his eyes harden with anger and determination.**

**"I wonder what kind of expression you'll have. Splendid, splendid!" Zank towered over his victim, looking extremely terrifying and daunting.**

Everyone felt a chill run down their spine just by looking at Zank's monstrous expression. Even Neo froze for a brief second.

"This… This man is a monster." Glynda hissed.

Qrow gripped his armrest. "His expression certainly didn't make things any better. Props to the kid who's standing his ground."

**"My neck isn't so weak that you'll be able to cut it!" Tatsumi took up his sword and pointed it at Zank, unwavering.**

**Distances away, Akame felt the surge of killing intent in the air. She turned around, looking up at the crimson moon.**

**"Tatsumi…"**

"Hurry. Go, help him." Jaune bit on his nails nervously.

"I hope she can make it to him on time." Blake's ears were on high alert. "He might have a chance with his opponent purposely toying with him."

"Let's hope that comes back to bite him." Said Yang.

**Glints of silver steel streaked towards Zank, hardly nicking his neck. With Spectator reading Tatsumi's every move, Zank effortlessly dodged every single attack the assassin could throw.**

**"Wonderful! Youths are so straightforward!" He taunted. "I'm liking you even more! I'll add you to my shrunken heads collection!"**

**Zank went on the offense, his coat rippled from the blistering speed of his attack. Countless sparks and gleams of silver pierced the air. Tatsumi could do nothing but hold his ground while he tries his best to defend himself.**

"He's fast." Winter gasped, "On par with my Time Dilation Glyphs!"

"It's difficult for me to keep up." Velvet grimaced, setting her camera to its best setting. Most of the viewings with formidable fighting scenes are difficult for Velvet to mimic. Her semblance may allow her to copy anybody's fighting style, but there are limitations to how she can push her body.

It was nice of the Hosts to allow Velvet to retain her semblance here, seeing no harm in it.

"Fast and strong." Port furrowed his brows. "The only thing that's keeping this lad alive is his skills and his opponent's habit of prolonging the fight."

**"Gahaha! Splendid, splendid!"**

**The intensity of each strike broke Tatsumi's guard, wounding him multiple times. Zank watched with glee as Tatsumi's arms slumped due to his injuries, his sword hitting the solid ground with a metallic clang.**

"Oh no." Ruby whimpered.

"That looks bad. Very, very bad." Jaune gulped.

"He's outmatched." Mercury said grimly, "Old dude is better than him in everything. Imperial thing or not. Even without it, you can tell he's a better fighter. No, a better killer."

**"A magnificent wound I've inflicted upon you if I do say so myself."**

**Tatsumi trembled in pain. "What?"**

**"When people with wonderful eyes like yours beg for their lives, it's very comforting. So, I'm taking my time." They looked at each other in the eyes; Tatsumi glaring at him. Zank's grin widened, looking more derange with each second. "Now, beg… If you do, it might buy some time for your friends to arrive."**

"Sadistic bastard." Maria spat, remembering that crocodile faunus who slashed her eyes and tried to make her beg for her life. She gave that faunus what she deserved, decapitating her head. "Why don't you have your head taken for a change?"

Coco looked amused by Maria's outburst. "This old lady has no chill."

**Silence descended upon the city square. The crimson moon stood still in the darkened skies, waiting…**

"He's really looking for a fight." Yang rubbed her arms, frowning.

"I would say that he's stupid, but then I remember that he's just crazy." Raven leaned forth, interested in seeing what happens next.

**A splotch of blood was spat out onto the floor.**

**"Don't be ridiculous." Tatsumi spat. "I would never beg for my life from a rotten rat like you… Who only knows how to behead people!" He violently retorted his last sentence, offended by Zank's offer.**

**He wasn't the only one looking offended. Zank himself appeared to be affronted by his victim's refusal to beg.**

"That's the spirit." Mercury chuckled, "This guy has the guts and balls."

Neo let a small smile crawl on her face, swinging her sign around. "They both look offended."

Everyone went quiet as they anticipate Tatsumi's next move.

**Tatsumi stabilized himself and swung his sword. _"He's looking into my heart, so I'll keep it simple…"_ Aiming the blade at Zank, he hovered his other hand over the handle of his sword and crouched. _"I'm putting everything on the line…"_ The air rippled around him as Tatsumi made his stance. _"With one strike!"_**

**"Well, that's very valiant of you." Zank darkly chuckled and put his hands in the air like he was shrugging. "I'm sure your wounds hurt. I, the master of executions, shall relieve you from that."**

**It was all or nothing. Something that Tatsumi was willing to take.**

**_"Here I go!"_ Tatsumi appeared in front of Zank, swinging his sword over his shoulder.**

**It was at this moment Zank realized that his opponent was no longer meters away from him, but inches. He let out a raspy gasp, his grin drawn down into a frightened frown. ****Tatsumi let out a cry and swung his sword across Zank's face. He zipped past Zank, before skittering to a halt.**

**Streams of blood sputtered out of Zank's cheek; his expression was that of shock.**

_**"His attack was much faster than I anticipated. He's…"**_

"Whoa." Half of the student body uttered in awe.

"That was like, teleportation!" Sun's tail swayed excitedly.

Ozpin agreed. "Very impressive. Even if his opponent can keep track of his movement, that doesn't mean he can react to it on time."

**"Heh. I got a strike in." Tatsumi smiled, mentally cheering over this minor victory. A gush of blood suddenly burst out from his backside, making him fall over. Despite this, he can't help but taunt his opponent over this. "Master of executions, my ass." He managed to turn his body as he fell to the floor. "You totally missed my neck! Don't make me laugh, you dumbass."**

**The smug expression on Tatsumi's face combined with his ridiculing set Zank off.**

**"Silence!" Zank roared, barreling towards Tatsumi at unbelievable speed.**

Several of the audience members reeled back at the speed in which Zank was going by. It wasn't just that, they could feel the anger and malice that Zank was emitting.

Ironwood bit back a sneer of disgust. "I can see why they're trying to put this man down. He's too dangerous and unstable."

**A lone katana fell from the sky, embedding itself into the solid ground in front of the surging Zank. He came to a sudden halt and glanced up into the sky.**

**High above the city square, Akame acrobatically flipped through the skies, letting the bloody moon illuminated her shadowy figure. She descended into the battlefield, snatching up her katana and taking her combat stance in one swift motion.**

**The speed in which she exerted scattered the wind around, kicking up dust in the process. A beautiful and terrifying entrance.**

"Awesome." Neptune's eyes showcased awe and respect.

Weiss numbly nodded. "I agree. That was a beautiful display."

"How did she get up so high?" Leave it to Jaune to ask the trivial questions.

Raven was munching on a bag of popcorn. It's been a while since she had any. "I'm curious to see how this girl fares in her fight."

**"Well done on the insults." Akame complimented. "Mentally, you've won this fight."**

"She's right on that part." Tai nodded, "There are many ways to give your allies an advantage."

"It's still preferable if you can survive."

**Tatsumi felt relieved when he saw her. "Akame!"**

**"I've finally found you." She smiled at him. "Just wait. I'll end this quickly and tend to your wounds."**

**A snort could be heard from Zank. He pulled on his trench coat and tossed it aside. He'll need to go all out against the well-known assassin, Akame.**

"He's not holding back anymore," Fox noted. He hates to admit it, but Fox is mostly invested in Zank for this fight. Zank's weapons are similar to his, and it seems that the serial killer possesses a great number of skills and prowess. He could learn a thing or two. Not the crazy and murderous part, of course.

"Things are about to get interesting." Neo grinned widely.

**"The infamous Akame and her enchanted sword, Murasame." He grinned. "Splendid… Splendid. I've been wanting to meet you."**

"That must be the name of her sword." Raven hummed.

**"I wanted to meet you as well. Because it's my mission."**

**Zank gave her a deranged smile and activated his Imperial Arm.**

**"Transparent Sight!"**

**The headpiece on his forehead opened its eye, allowing Zank to see through Akame's clothing, though not through her undergarments.**

_**"Results… No signs of any hidden weapons."**_

"Creep! Fucking creep!" All the females and some males hugged themselves at the sight of Zank x-ray visions.

"That is so wrong! Why can he do that?!"

"Pervert!"

"Oscar, cover your eyes!"

"You're already covering them…" Oscar bashfully replied.

Yang viciously hissed. "I'm hating this guy more and more."

**"Be careful, Akame… He can read your thoughts with that eye!"**

**"I see." Akame coolly evaluated her opponent. "So that's the power of that Imperial Arm." She gripped her weapon firmly. "But even if you can read thoughts if you can't counter the actions," She put most of her body weight on her foot. "there's no point!"**

**She took off, shattering the ground as she flitted.**

"She's very nimble." Glynda observed, "And strong."

**Zank brought up one blade and blocked her attack, sending sparks everywhere.**

"Her opponent is as well." Ironwood crossed his arms; his expression was dark.

**Their blades flowed like ghastly apparitions, solidifying upon contacting their opponent's weapon. Metallic screeching sang throughout their lethal blade dance, which increased intensity as neither combatant backed down from their relentless assault.**

**_"He's used to this. He's seen quite a few battles." _Akame thought to herself, unfazed by the number of sparks flying near her eyes.**

**_"She doesn't only have speed. She has arm strength as well." _Zank noted, retaining his slasher grin.**

Velvet furiously pressed on her camera's shutter button repeatedly, trying to capture every single moment while observing their fighting techniques. As for the students, they were mesmerized by the deadly blade dance between the two killers; both of whom are definitely out of their leagues.

"Look at them go." Pyrrha's eyes were wide.

"Indeed." Ozpin was probably the only person in the room that could barely keep up with their attacks. "The two of them are more than just experienced fighters. They fought for their livelihood and still do."

**Suddenly, Akame spun back and delivered a fierce back kick that blew Zank back. The ground underneath him was scarred by his feet dragging through the ground.**

"Nice kick." Mercury nodded in approval. "Gotta love a kick chick."

Emerald, Cinder, and Roman rolled their eyes.

**_"F-fast!"_ Tatsumi looked on in awe. _"So, this is a fight between Imperial Arms users?"_**

**Akame controlled her breathing and calmly assess her current situation. "With him reading my heart, we're evenly matched." She closed her eyes. "Then…"**

**Her surroundings darkened, leaving only her and Zank in the center of it all. She had cleared her mind of any thoughts.**

"What's happening?" Jaune tilted his head in confusion.

Pyrrha made an educated guess. "She must be clearing her mind of any thoughts."

Glynda nodded, "A reasonable choice if you consider her opponent's ability to read minds. It'll be difficult to pull off for inexperienced fighters, and I doubt she is anything but inexperienced."

**"Oh? You've arrived at a state of nothingness." It was pointless. His Imperial Arm can do more than just read one's heart. "But this Spectator has the Future Sight. Judging by your muscles, your next move will be –"**

**Akame struck out, seemingly teleporting towards him. In spite of her sudden assault, Zank was able to defend himself by crossing his wrist blades in front of him.**

**"I see it!" Zank's eyes renewed its bloodthirsty gleam.**

**He retaliated, crushing the ground where she would have been standing were it not for her lifetime of training. He laughed madly, clearly enjoying this.**

**Akame slid back from the counterattack and winced slightly. A small cut has appeared on her leg.**

"Th-that was instantaneous." Jaune paled.

"They're on a different level." Ren gulped, trying to comprehend that they are this powerful despite not having any aura. "I can't imagine what they are like if they have aura."

"Nigh unstoppable." Qrow was bouncing his knees, releasing his tension. "Not something I would like to think about seeing how crazy strong they are."

"Pair that with aura and his Imperial Arm, and you'll get a monster that can pose a huge threat to a team of professional huntsmen." Ironwood got chills by thinking about such a person existing. A threat that's potentially second only to Salem.

Cinder smiled softly to herself. '_Wouldn't that be nice?'_

**This was the first time Tatsumi has seen her get injured before.**

_**"The fact that Akame took an attack…"**_

**"Good grief." Zank sighed and pointed at her weapon. "It's rather unfair that sword is so unforgiving with even the slightest scratch, right?"**

**"My moves and thoughts are being read, so I think we're even."**

"She has a point." Sun said, "They're both unfairly overpowered. So, they're both on equal ground."

"There's no such thing as fairness in life. If you're a huntsman out on a mission, anyone you encounter might have an advantage over you whether it's semblance, weapon, training, whatever." Qrow waved his hand haphazardly. "You gotta play to your strength and their weakness. And no one is going to telling you what it is. Most of the time."

"Get that in your mind." Read Neo's sign.

**Zank lowered his arm. "Say, Akame. How do you deal with the voices?"**

**This took her by surprise. "Voices?"**

Oscar frowned slightly, "Voices?"

"He's schizophrenic?"

"Way to assume, Ice Queen."

"It was an educated guess."

"Quiet. Both of you." Glynda barked.

**The world around Zank turned into a dark shade of red.**

**"You know, the ones you hear when you get really quiet." Behind and beneath Zank, a deep pit with ghostly figures were reaching out to him, constantly whispering. "The voices of everyone you've killed, groaning from the depths of hell." He grinned. "They hold a grudge against me, and they tell me to hurry and join them!"**

"Scary." Jaune shivered.

Nora growled angrily. "Then why does he keep killing people?"

"There's something more to it." Ren quietly replied.

**A flashback of Zank slumping against a wall, covering his ears. Next to him sat a blood saber and tossed away was a bottle of alcohol.**

**"When I was cutting off heads every day at the jail, I started hearing them. But lately, it's gotten worse."**

"So, he wasn't always like this." Ozpin shook his head sadly, "If their government is this corrupt, I assume that the effects of their misdeeds have started his dark path as a murderer?"

_"Correct. Originally Zank was nothing more than a prison guard following orders. As the Empire grew more corrupt, they began executing people in mass and on a daily basis. Zank was forced to carried out their orders and eventually succumbed to his guilt and madness, turning him into a person who has a lust for beheading."_

Winter looked mortified. "Daily executions?"

Nora sadly looked down. "That's… Sad."

"Ruined lives by high up lives." Roman sneered, "That sounds about right."

"A monster bore from another," Oobleck mumbled. "How tragic."

**The flashback ends. "I talk to deal with it, but how do you –"**

**"I don't hear them." Akame flatly responded. Zank was taken aback by that. "I don't hear voices like that."**

"Just like many others who kill people who don't hear voices." Raven shrugged and resumed eating her popcorn.

Glynda fixed her a glare, "It sounds like you know from experience."

**"This is surprising…" There was a hint of disappointment in his tone. "I thought I'd be able to discuss this with an assassin of your caliber." The eye of Spectator slowly opened. "How depressing!"**

**He activated Spectator, inflicting the same illusionary ability he used on Tatsumi. This time, his target is Akame.**

**Akame's eyes widen with shock. Standing in front of her is a younger girl around her age, bearing striking similarities to her appearance. Even down to the black uniform and skirt.**

**A series of flashbacks from her younger days as an assassin came flooding back to her mind. Among those memories, the young girl… Her younger sister…**

**"Kurome…"**

"That looks like her younger sister. The similarity is very striking." Penny gave her thoughts on the details.

Emerald leaned on her arm, "I wonder how his illusions work. Surely she knows that the person in front of her isn't real."

**"Wh-what's wrong? Akame! Akame!" Tatsumi tried to snap Akame out of her trance, but the girl remained rooted on the spot. Her eyes dilated. Mouth slightly agape.**

**Zank triumphantly grinned. "Illusion Sight. The person she values the most appeared before her. She's in her memories right now, reunited with the one most precious to her."**

"That's a low blow. Very low blow." Yang growled, "Fairness be damned uncle Qrow."

"Language, firecracker…" Tai half-heartily retorted.

Qrow raised both of his hands, "I'm just stating the facts. If anyone has this sort of semblance back in Remnant, they will use it to their advantage. Just saying."

Of course, even Qrow and Raven would waver a bit if Summer Rose were to appear in front of them like that. Especially Tai. Though, just thinking about someone using Summer's face to their advantage made the former members of Team STRQ's blood boil.

And for Ruby and Yang. They'll be the ones most affected by it. Ruby might even falter completely against a person wearing the face of her mother.

**"So that's what Sayo was." A brief look of distress crossed his face, but it was vanquished by unrelenting stubbornness. "Akame!" He called out to her. "You're seeing an illusion! Don't be fooled!"**

**"It's no use." Zank mocked his attempt. "It only works on one at a time, but the hypnosis is strong." The serial killer readied his blades, taking a step forward to go in for the kill. "And no matter how experienced one may be," The illusionary Kurome's footstep echoed his before breaking into a full sprint. "it is impossible for one to kill those they love most!"**

**The world switched to Akame's perspective; her younger sister is charging towards her with her katana out.**

"Snap out of it, girl!" Nora slammed her fist on the armrest.

Jaune wanted to cover his eyes. "Oh man, oh man."

**"Die looking at the illusion of the one you love, Akame!" Zank lunged towards her, blades outreached.**

**Akame saw her sister trying to kill her. Just like how the real Kurome would do. Akame's long raven-hair shadowed her eyes. Her red pupils lost its luster as Akame wordlessly killed the illusion with a single swing.**

Mercury felt his entire body stiffen. "That's the face of a professional killer."

**Arcs of blood sputtered from the fake Kurome's wound, quickly vanishing as her sight returned to reality.**

**Zank was at a complete loss for words, barely able to defend himself from her single stroke attack.**

**_"She…!"_ The impact sent him sliding back several meters. _"She didn't even falter!"_**

"She snapped out of it." Pyrrha breathed a sigh of relief.

"At the last second as well." Maria nodded, "Caught the creep off guard!"

"That must have been hard." Jaune scratched his cheeks, wondering how he would have done if he was in her shoe.

Raven snorted but didn't say anything.

**Akame regained the life in her eyes, looking peeved by what had happened.**

**"Why?!" Zank went on to have a miniature breakdown. "You should have seen the one you love most!"**

**"It's because I loved her most…" Her expression was that of a cold professional killer. "that I wanted to kill her as swiftly as possible."**

**The pupil of Zank's eyes shrunk greatly. The serial killer was shaken up by this revelation, letting a small gasp escape his lip. **_**"What did she…?"**_

Raven raised her eyebrow. "That's interesting."

Qrow obviously disagreed with Raven. "That's cold."

"She… What?" Yang gasped. Ruby means a lot to the blond brawler and she could never imagine hurting her on purpose, much less kill her.

"An assassin's mindset." Mercury looked a bit awestruck. "I like her."

Emerald scoffed. "Right."

"She could just mean mercy killing." Said Roman.

**"This settles the battle." Akame coldly said.**

**On cue, one of Zank's blade started cracking. He looked down in horror at his near crippled weapon. _"No good. It's going to break."_**

"All her attacks struck the same spot on his weapon; in case you haven't noticed." Ozpin may have a difficult time keeping track of all their strikes, but his accumulated training was able to pick out that small detail. "I believe she had it planned from the start."

"You can see through all of that in their first clash, professor?" Blake asked her headmaster.

"Just enough for that little detail." He nodded.

"That's very impressive." By impressive, Pyrrha meant both the headmaster's ability to keep track and Akame's precision.

**Akame lunged towards him. "First, I'll destroy your weapon!"**

**"Raaagh! I won't die!" He stabbed at her with his good wrist blade, connecting pointedly with her katana.**

"He's going berserk." Velvet worriedly said, readying her camera.

"That's what fighting for survival will do to you." Raven had her full attention on the screen for the upcoming fight.

**The air around them flashed silvery, blowing away every single loose object around them.**

**It was a fierce dance of blades. Afterimages and sparks erupted with each movement that they made. A ferocious storm of silver that's accompanied by bright orange flares as their blades tear at one another.**

**_"I'll kill you first!"_ His mind was in complete chaos. His fear got the better of him and it was amplified by the fact he was losing ground trying to keep up with the young assassin. _"I have the advantage because I can see your future motion! She can't kill me immediately!"_**

**Everything became a blur as they increased the speed and strength of their attack. The silvery blades morphed into deadly shining snakes, viciously clashing against the opposing blade.**

"Good Monty Oum!" Glynda gasped at the speed in which they were going.

"They're unbelievably fast." Winter's hand showed signs of faint quivering. "Even without aura strengthening them."

"It's like their arms are teleporting!" Pyrrha said in awe, "You can't see the blades even when it makes contact!"

"… I wonder what kind of training or experiences they went through to achieve this level of power." Raven felt an immense dread and respect for the fighters.

Meanwhile, Velvet was numbly having understood that her camera wasn't going to get much out of this. Chances are, she wouldn't be able to replicate their movements and even with her photographic memory in full use. The speed they are going is impossible to replicate without severely harming herself.

**_"Before you strike, my blade will –"_**

**Both of Zank's blades shattered, sending glimmering shards into the air. He let out an unintelligible noise as he watched Akame shifted her weapon over her shoulder, imitating an iaijutsu style strike.**

"It's over." Raven's eyes glistered, forever remembering the killing stance Akame took to put an end to Zank the Beheader. "He's done."

**Akame's eyes were cold and firmed. "Eliminate."**

**Her Imperial Arm flashed, slashing across Zank's throat. T****ons of blood exploded from the large gash on his neck. **

**Zank spat out a large amount of blood and fell over onto his backside gurgling.**

Oscar flinched at the sight. He may have seen animals being butcher before, but butchering humans is an entirely different story.

Several of the students felt their blood drain from their faces at the finishing strike. Weiss, in particular, placed a hand over her mouth. Her complexion was much paler than normal.

"I understand that this may be too much for some of you." Glynda's word was directed to her students. "However, there may come a day where you'll be forced to take a life or witness it. Huntsmen and huntresses should not falter, no matter how appalling the situation may be."

**"We did it!" Tatsumi looked relieved and happy at the demise of the serial killer, but this incident made him reflect on some things. _"She saved me this time, but… I need to become stronger."_**

"He has a long way to go." Tai could admire the bravery of the boy while lamenting the horrific scene his daughters have witnessed. "Everyone has to start from somewhere."

Qrow could read his thoughts. "Just like your daughters, Tai."

**It wasn't completely over yet.**

**Akame stood over her dying opponent. Her face, unreadable.**

**"Zank, I'm sure you can't hear the groaning anymore."**

**The earphone that covered Zank's ears shattered. His eyes quickly lost its light, but he looked at peace while his life slowly slips away.**

Realization dawned on Ironwood why Zank was wearing those in the first place. It was obvious! "That earpiece… He was wearing them to stop hearing the voices. I can't really say if I pity the man."

"A poor man tormented by the deeds he had done." Ozpin sighed. "Perhaps death is a sweet release to him. Or the beginning."

The same could be said for him and Salem.

**"The noises… Have stopped." He couldn't help but put out his infamous grin. "S-splendid, splendid." As Akame removed all the blood from her katana with a flick, Zank thanked her for setting him free. "Thank you, Akame…"**

_"… We'll stop there for now."_

"This one was much bloodier than that Dark Tournament one." Said Vernal, "Actual blood I mean."

"I can't feel my hands." Velvet groaned upon realizing how much she had strained herself earlier. "Somehow my camera is still intact."

"Are you alright?" Yatsuhashi asked his partner.

"I'm quickly recovering." She assured him.

"Can we get something not as awful as this?" Weiss tenderly asked the Hosts.

_"Your next viewing will be comedic in nature. You can be at ease in the next screening."_

Jaune looked relieved. "Thank god."

"I feel that it's been a while since we watched something funny." Ruby pouted, needing something to get that awful bloody images and negative thoughts out of her head. The cookies, great as they were, aren't helping.

Oscar rubbed his neck. "No kidding."

* * *

**NEXT: Monty Python - Firing Squad**

* * *

**Pardon my grammar. Updates will be a bit slow from here on out for everything.**


	22. Monty Python - Firing Squad

**Sorry! **

**It's been a busy week. I have exams and quizzes coming up soon, again. I'll make it up by uploading a SHORT chapter or two of "Meet the Team" some time during Sunday.**

**I'll be honest, this chapter is a bit dull. More of a filler if you ask me.**

**Pardon my grammar.**

* * *

**Monty Python - Firing Squad**

* * *

"Wonder what we'll be watching this time." Emerald stretched her entire body before sitting down on her comfy seat.

Mercury gestured to the screen starting up. "Well, you'll soon find out."

**The scene starts in the interior of a prison cell. Pither, a goofy-looking man wearing glasses and a red beanie with white fluff on the top of his hat. He was stuck in his cell writing in his diary.**

"Good Oum's! Look at that horrible outfit and hat he's wearing." Coco cringed.

"Coco…" Fox rolled his white eyes. "What did I say about being fashionably judgmental?"

"Surely this doesn't count." She flailed her arms dramatically at the goofy man on-screen. "Just look at him!"

**_"April 26th. Thrown into Russian cell. Severely damaged my Mars bar. Shall I ever see Bude Bus station again? Shall I ever..."_ Two guards enter the cell and grabbed him by the arms, lifting him out of the leather woven benched. "Oh, excuse me." **

**Pither tossed his diary into the cell as the guards lead him away to the execution ground, figuring he might return to it later on.**

"Off to a great start there." Qrow snorted, taking measured sips from his flask. "Gotta love black comedy. Have to say, why is this guy in jail? Must've done something stupid to end up there."

Oobleck raised an eyebrow. "The guard's uniforms remind me of olden days soldiers' way back then."

General Ironwood and Specialist Winter frowned, "He's in a military prison cell?"

_"Correct. The matter in which he ended up there can be summed up in your own words… Stupid."_

**The scene cuts to the exterior prison door leading out into the prison yard. The door is thrown open and Pither is escorted pass a lined-up firing squad. The two guards marched Pither up to a blank wall that's situated in front of the firing squad. **

**There are lots of small holes in the wall.**

"He's getting executed?" Blake didn't look amused. "Our previous viewing had a crazy serial killer who used to be an executioner, and now we're watching a black comedy regarding executions?"

"Our Hosts did say something about viewings being connected." Neptune cautiously put out.

**_"What a pleasant exercise yard."_ Pither innocently observed his surroundings, unaware of the severity of his predicament. The pots and metal utensils strung up to his hiking backpack continue rattling, dampening the situation with a slight sense of comedy. _"How friendly they were all being."_**

"This guy has a few loose screws," Mercury whispered to his teammates.

Emerald rolled her eyes. "No duh."

"You have got to be kidding me." Qrow had a befuddled look that's not caused by the alcohol.

"He certainly has this empty-minded feel to him," Ozpin noted.

Vernal shook her head. Her flat expression says everything. "I'm surprised he's capable of surviving for this long."

Raven snorted in amusement by that remark.

**The guards released Pither and mechanically walked away. Pither couldn't help but happily bounced on his foot, looking around in wonder of his new environment. The Officer overseeing Pither's execution walked over to him with a lone cigarette in his hand. **

**"Cigarette?"**

**Pither glanced at it before politely declining. "Oh! No thank you. I don't smoke."**

The Officer walked away to prep the firing squad, leaving Pither on his own restricted device. He continued to happily around with a carefree expression.

"Ah. It appears to be one of those last requests etiquettes. In this case, this is the 'one last smoke' that I often heard about." Oobleck nodded, remembering how there are certain decency or etiquette for a condemned person depending on the crime, era, or culture. "Look's like it's also practiced in that world."

Roman chuckled. "If only the idiot knew what's coming for him."

**_"After a few minutes, I perceived a line of gentlemen with rifles. They were looking in my direction..."_ Cut to shot from behind Pither, including his back to see him facing a line of uniformed men with guns, obviously a firing squad. Back to Pither against the wall, looking behind him. _"I looked around but could not see the target."_**

A handful of people were already laughing, though it is Yang and Tai who were wheezing at Pither's deduction.

"This guy!" Tai clutched his lower chin, his entire body trembling as he tried to contain his laugh.

Even Ozpin found himself smiling at Pither, "Ignorant is bliss."

**The Officer returned, this time with a saber and a black cloth in his hand. "Blindfold?"**

**"No, thank you. No." Pither cheerfully replied with his hands in his pocket. **

**Stepping clear of the firing squad, the Officer rested his saber on his shoulder blades and barked. "Slowotny!" Firing squad snaps to attention. "Gridenwa." The bolts of their rifle clicked. Cut to shot of firing squad and the officer, his front is to the camera. "Verschnitzen."**

Cinder looked on with a neutral expression, already knowing that things will not be going the firing squad's way. The pattern was there in plain sight. This is a comedy viewing after all.

"Welp. Nice knowing him." Nora casually shrugged before switching to her skeptical face. "Or is it?"

Ruby tilted her head. "Ren, what does Nora mean by that?"

He shrugged, "I dunno."

**The Officer raised his saber, the firing squad raises their rifles; pointing in the direction of Pither, who is in their sight. At that moment a regular slow measured drumbeat starts. Meanwhile, Pither was still blatantly unaware of his predicament, cheerfully smiling.**

**As the Officer was about to give the command, they heard running footsteps approaching and shouting in Russian. The Officer turned around, with everyone in the firing squad frowning and lowering their rifle. **

**"Nyet! Nyet! Nyet!" A Russian soldier runs in waving a telegram. He runs up and hands it to the Officer.**

"Perhaps he's being wrongly punished." Weiss gave her thoughts on the matter upon watching the Russian soldier urgently interrupting the execution. "He doesn't seem to be someone capable of intentionally committing a crime."

Velvet nodded in agreement. "I know. Just look at him. He's practically harmless."

"Interesting. They still use notes for long distances communication?" Oobleck hummed, writing a few notes down in his notebook.

"Their weapons are a bit archaic." Port pointed out.

"Methods of communication has a rather large variety if you compared cultures, you know." Oobleck pushed up his glasses. "But I suppose you're right."

**"A telegram?" He opened the small folded note. "From the Kremlin, the Central Committee! It says… 'Carry on with the execution'."**

"Nope." Yang flatly said before bursting out laughing.

"I wonder how their chains of command work," Winter commented offhand. "Were they even given the authorization to carry out this execution?"

Maria snorted. "Don't look too much into it."

**The Officer hastily closed the telegram and raised his saber in the air. "Verschnitzen!" **

**They raise their rifles.**

**It was at this moment Pither realized that something wasn't right. His smiling expression turned into a slight frown. "Now I was really in for it."**

"Oh. So now he knows he's in trouble." Vernal smirked, "Talk about no situation awareness."

**Cut to shot of officer with his saber raised. Drum rolls again. He brings his sword down; shots rang out as the firing squad fired a volley upon the condemned man known as Pither. **

**The Officer swiveled his head, looking in Pither's direction.**

**There was a long pause.**

**He then turned to his squad. "How could you miss?"**

Half of the audience let out a hearty laugh.

Cinder snickered, "I knew it."

"Really?" Never had Ironwood heard such a flat tone from Winter.

"Yeah, how could you miss?" Said Ruby, before backtracking a bit. "Uh… Not that I wanted them to hit their target."

"Did you see the look on his face?" Nora pointed and howled.

"I never saw a person with such a disappointed look on his face." Jaune grinned.

**The entire firing squad lowered their weapon and inspected their rifles with confusion. The Officer keeps scanning over his men with a disbelieving expression. **

**"He moved." One of the soldiers responded.**

"No duh, he moved." Read Neo's sign.

Raven scoffed. "They didn't even bother to restrain him."

"I doubt they'll be able to hit anything even if he was restrained." Tai chuckled.

**That only got a frustrated look from the Officer. "Shut up! Go and practice." He walked over to Pither with a sincere expression. "I'm so sorry. Would you mind waiting in your cell?"**

That got a hearty chuckle out of Jaune. The sincere apologetic tone the Officer had was very amusing in context. "At least he's polite."

"Something people are lacking these days," Glynda said, directing her gaze at Qrow and several of her students.

**Pither looked confused but complied with the Officer's request. The cell door opened and Pither is flung back in his cell by his guards. He landed hard on the leather woven benched and felt around his stomach region. **

**_"What a stroke of luck. My Crunchie was totally intact."_ He pulled out his snack and inspected it. He unraveled the wrapper and took a bite out of his Crunchie. _"I settled down to a quick intermetal snack."_**

"Glad to see this guy has priorities." Qrow shook his head all while grinning. He probably would do the same thing with his flask as well. "Props to him for staying positive."

"No. I think that's just him being simple-minded and partially brain dead." Raven cruelly remarked without remorse. People like him living in the outer settlements and to some extent, the kingdoms, would have a huge disadvantage in life and low life expectancy.

"Come on Rae," Tai said disapprovingly. "You're better than that."

"I most certainly am."

"Not 'that' better than that."

"Enough flirting you two." Maria called out on them, "Pay attention. I want to see how many more attempts these ding dongs can miss their shot!"

The two adults looked away, face unnotably flushing.

**Unfortunately, Pither was unable to take another bite. The guards burst in, barking something and forcefully grabbed Pither, dragging him away to the execution ground again. This time, the door was left open. **

**The sounds of drum rolling were heard along with shouts of instructions. Then a volley of shots. **

**Pause. **

**Sound of feet and clinking cheap metals were coming back to the cell. Pither is thrown into the cell, followed by the officer. He raised a finger at him. "Next time… Definitely!" The Officer turned to leave. "Now, how many of them are injured? Oh, God…"**

Everyone laughed a bit louder or grinned for that one, though some silently kept their demeanor.

Maria, on the other hand, was laughing the loudest, pounding her armrest in amusement. "How many injured! What were they doing?! Checking down their gun barrels while it was loaded!? Aim at each other?!"

"You have quite a loud laugh," Winter said disdainfully.

"How on Remnant did they injure themselves during target practice?" Coco scratched her head. "These are trained soldiers… Well, they did miss so…"

Ironwood sweatdropped. "I hope their entire military isn't this incompetent."

"Reminds me of one particular and only military in Remnant."

"At least my soldiers have better aiming." The general joked back.

**The door slammed shut. Outside we hear odd shots and muffled curses from the Officer.**

Glynda shook her head. "I shudder to imagine what combat practice would be like for them."

"It wouldn't be pretty, that's for sure!" Maria chortled.

**Pither laid down on his leather wooden benched, looking tired. _"As I lay down to the sound of the Russian gentlemen practicing their shooting, I realized I was in a bit of a pickle."_ He leaned his head on the wall, looking dejected. _"My heart sank as I realized I should never see the Okehampton by-pass again..."_**

"Yeah. This guy really doesn't really understand the trouble he's in." Sun scratched his head, wondering how such a person could end up in military prison. Maybe he innocently stole or broke something.

**Pither closed his eyes and fell asleep. The screen started to ripple and mix, transitioning to his dream.**

"What's wrong with the screen?" Oscar asked.

"It's probably a scene transition." Weiss answered, "Directors or special effects specialists often use certain camera effects to initiate a sudden change of scene."

"Oh."

**Pither stirred, in a half-asleep state. He didn't realize it, but he will soon find himself in a beautiful garden, with the sun shining, the birds singing. He was sitting in a deck chair, and his mother is pouring him a glass of iced fruit juice. Gently, his mother started nudging Pither to wake him. **

**"Come on, dear. Wake up. dear." An elderly woman smiled at him.**

**"Mother!" Pither looked surprised to see his dear mother.**

Ruby stilled a bit at that. Had she ever dreamed of her mother? She must have, but all her dreams tend to disappear from her memory within minutes.

"Ruby?" The crimson reaper turned and saw Yang looking at her. "You okay?"

"I'm fine." Ruby smiled.

**She raised a glass of iced fruit juice to him. "Come on dear."**

**Pither looked around, smiling. "So, it was all a dream."**

**"No, dear," His mother smiled sweetly. "'this' is the dream. You're still in the cell."**

Pyrrha couldn't help but titter a bit. "Oof."

"Oof indeed." Jaune laughed.

**The scene quickly ripples to him waking up in a cell to the Officer shaking him awake. **

**"Okay! We're going to have another try." The Officer looked a bit confident. Pointing at a piece in the rifle he was holding. "I think we've got it now. My boys have all been looking down the wrong bit, see."**

"They don't know how to look down their rifle's sight?" Glynda's question wasn't directed to anybody and she herself didn't expect an answer. "They surely can't be this incompetent."

"Maybe their guns are newly issued, and nobody gave them a user's manual?" Penny compiled a mental list of the reasoning behind it their baffling incompetency with their rifles.

"I wouldn't be surprised in any case." Winter's humor is a bit stiff here. "Even their commanding officer doesn't seem to know as well."

**Pither frowned and got up from his seat, correcting the Officer on his mistake. "Oh, no, no, you've got to look down that bit there." He pointed at the opposite side of the bit they were using for aiming. **

**There was an awkward pause from the Officer. "I thought it was that bit."**

**"Oh no, you've got to look down that bit or you won't hit anything."**

The loudmouths of the audience gave their signature laugh, while everyone else hosted their own levels of their current entertainment on their face.

For Maria, this man reminded her of Pietro and his tendency to be scattered brain at times. "No wonder they're trying to kill him!" She laughed. "He's too pure for this world!"

"Wha – Are you that… You have got to be kidding me." Raven facepalmed, now knowing how Glynda feels she has to deal with angsty or macho teenagers wrecking the school. "This guy really doesn't deserve to live."

"He's just trying to be helpful." There's nothing wrong with being helpful. Though, Ruby isn't that naïve and understands that sometimes you shouldn't help people. Like your enemies. Or people trying to kill you because of reasons.

Raven's face was unreadable as she turned her attention to Ruby. The physical resemblances and positive outlook of Ruby Rose were almost the exact same with her mother, Summer Rose.

"What an idiot." Mercury sniggered at Pither's lethal stupidity.

**"Alright! We'll give it a whirl! Guards, seize him!" Two guards entered the cell and dragged Pither away. The Officer walked out the door bearing new information for his men. "Listen! You've got to look down this bit."**

**Cheerfully music started playing in the background as the scene comes to an end.**

Roman snorted. "No pardon for helping those simpletons learn how to aim."

"That was a bit dark." Velvet quietly said. "But somewhat amusing."

"That was entertaining," Pyrrha admitted.

'It was stupid', is what several of the more serious characters thought. On the other hand, it did take their minds off of the darker and more stressful viewing that saw previously.

_"The next viewing will take place in Remnant. Before that, there will be some short viewings along the way as we sort through the history of your world once more."_

Cinder and Ozpin's group silently pulled up their notes in order to write down anything that may occur in the next viewings. Should there be something useful in the next viewings, it'll serve as a potential asset or knowledge given to them practically free.

Oobleck looked interested at what the Hosts said. "Fascinating! Are you able to view Remnant's history like it is a history documentary or book? I am curious to see how you perceive our world, and to a greater extent, our reality."

_"In a sense, yes. We are. However, our perception of the world spans beyond just the past, present, and future as you all already know. Such knowledge and perception are taxing on a mortal's mind."_

"I see."

"What are we watching next," Ozpin asked.

_"Byproducts of your Great War."_

* * *

**NEXT: World of Remnant - The Aesir Project, by Lightning-in-my-Hand**

**Been meaning to do this one...**

**Two or one more additional chapter coming up on Sunday (Meet the Team)**

* * *

**Pardon my grammar.**


	23. SHORT: Meet Team RWBY - Ruby Rose

**Inspiration: Meet the Sniper [Team Fortress 2 (TF2)]**

* * *

**I was alerted that this series may be stepping on the Guidelines, which caused some delays as I scrambled to backup all of my chapters in case.**

**Let me get to the bottom of this. In the meantime**** here is the promised chapter.**

**Pardon my grammar.**

* * *

**Meet Team RWBY - Ruby Rose**

* * *

_"Before we begin our scheduled viewings, please enjoy this short viewing. There is no particular order in which we show these."_

"Let me guess. It's similar to the one where I wrecked the entire school?" Coco inquired, feeling the entirety of Beacon's staff looking at her. "For the record! I do not approve of other-Me's actions. Just putting that out there."

No way was she risking detention or extra assignments for something she didn't do. The best way to handle this is to denounce it.

_"That is correct. At least, for the time being."_

Tai set his seat back and rested his arms behind his head. "I wonder who it'll be this time?"

The theater darkened, signaling that the viewing is starting.

**The scene starts off on a wide-open and crumbling paved road surrounded by pockets of trees, buildings, billboards and street signs on the far sides of the horribly maintained road. The sun was shining brightly overhead, brightening the dreary-looking scenery. **

**Suddenly, the sound of a car accelerating and tires screeching could be heard behind the camera shot. A red car bounced through the crumbling road, swiveling a bit to maintain a respectable position within its lane despite the fact that there are no cars nearby for miles to see. Inside the car, a small, snarling Beowolf bobblehead was attached to the dashboard.**

"Ah. I remember those bobbleheads back when I was a young, handsome lad." Port still has a small collection of Grimm bobbleheads back in his living quarters.

His colleagues looked at each other in regard to Port's description of his younger self.

Tai and Qrow, on the other hand, sat up from their seat.

"Hang on, is that red car… Is that Zippy?" The red car, Zippy, was the Xiao Long Household car. And unless Zippy was stolen, only three people are known to have ever taken Zippy out for a drive. "Are we going on a road trip?"

"That's some awful driving right there." Qrow narrowed his eyes. "I hope I'm not the one driving."

"I suppose even you have standards." Winter quietly remarked.

**A small, dedicated finger came into the shot and flicked the bobblehead.**

**"Boom. Headshot."**

"Hey, that sounds like me." Ruby leaned closer from her seat.

Tai, Qrow, and Yang suddenly started sweating.

Yang gulped, "Don't tell me."

**The opening fanfare started up, transitioning to a well-detailed screen card displaying Ruby Rose's emblem in the background. Her weapon, Crescent Rose was displayed in its grandest form, propped up against an invisible wall, along with a plate of chocolate chip cookies and a glass of milk. **

**A crossed-ax logo, representing Beacon Academy was stamped at the bottom center of the screen card. On the bottom right corner, a small scribble crediting Velvet as the creator was printed in cursive. **

**The scene cuts back to Ruby steadying the car in an unwieldy manner.**

"I'm driving Zippy?" Ruby looked happy. None of her family members would ever let her drive Zippy. "Look, dad, I can drive Zippy no problem."

Tai paled even more. "I… Don't think. I think you might need a little bit more practice before you can drive Zippy."

"Your driving is horrible, little Red." Roman bluntly said, ignoring the fierce glare from her.

"Don't worry sis." Yang placed an arm around her, "You'll get to learn how to drive one day."

Ruby pouted, "I feel like you guys are still treating me like a child. I'm practically an adult now."

**"Being a huntress is a great job, Oscar! Huntsman in your case." She sharply made a right turn, tires screeching. Oscar could be heard whimpering in fear of Ruby's horrid, and inexperience driving skills. "Sorry, Oscar." Another sharp right turn was made, again. "Anyway! Being a huntsman is challenging work, a lot of outdoors… I guarantee you'll won't go hungry!" **

**"You left out fighting Grimm and criminals." **

**Ruby waved a hand at him. "I'm getting there."**

"Even Oscar thinks your driving is horrible." Weiss flatly pointed out. "And it seems that all of this is taken from his perspective. I wonder why that is." She turned to him. "Not that it is a problem, of course."

"I wonder why as well." He nodded. How can he, a farm boy, living in a near isolated area in Mistral be involved with a Huntsman Academy all the way at Vale? "It sounds like I'm trying to become a huntsman here."

"Are you?" Ruby curiously asked.

Oscar looked uncertain. "I'm not sure."

**The scene cuts to Ruby brushing her teeth in her dorm's bathroom, already dressed in her combat attire. On the side of the sink's mirror were three photographs vertically taped; depicting unique looking Grimm, two of which were already crossed out in bright red markers. There was only one that was uncrossed, a pair of leering Beowolves. **

**The words 'Taijitu Beowolves' were inscripted at the bottom of the photos. True to the nickname, they were a pair of opposing colored Beowolves; white and black. The white Beowolf had a grayish, red marking mask while the black Beowolf had the standard white and red marking mask. They were similar in appearance, color-wise, to the Creature of Grimm known as a King Taijitu.**

"Hello, what is this?" Cinder hastily wrote something down in her notebook. "I'd never seen those kinds of Grimm before." She may have spent extensive time in Salem's domain and saw many types of Grimm there. But the ones shown on the photographs on-screen were new to her.

"Taijitu Beowolves? They are not conjoined like a King Taijitu. The name implies the coloration and pairing." Professor Port furrowed his brows while humming. "I believe we saw another Beowolf colored entirely white before. Miss Scarlatina, would you be so kind as to photograph this?"

"Of course, professor." Velvet pulled up her camera and snapped a photo of the unique Grimm. "This is ironic, taking a picture of a picture."

Ozpin and his inner circle paid close attention to the details.

"It appears that Miss Rose and her team have already dealt with two of whatever Grimm was on those photographs. Unfortunately, I am unable to make out what the crossed-out ones are." Ozpin said, "In any case, it doesn't appear that these Beowolves are regional variants."

A Beowolf appearance in Vale is comparatively different from a Beowolf from Atlas. The reasoning behind this is their environment. The cold forces the Beowolves prowling near Atlas or Mantle to have a thicker coat in order to protect itself against the cold climate. This theory has been greatly supported by the scientific community.

Port nodded, "Indeed. This certainly piques my interest."

**"What was I about to say? Oh yeah! Because at the end of the day, as long as the Creatures of Grimm exists, someone is going to want them dead."**

**The scene switches over to Ruby scoped in on her weapon, watching the Taijitu Beowolves prowling on a scaffold in an abandoned mining facility. She quickly pulled the trigger, shooting the white Taijitu Beowolf in the head, killing it instantly. The bullet continued to pass through the deceased Beowolf's skull and shattered a boulder behind it, sending sharp fragments everywhere. **

**Several of those stone fragments stabbed into the black Taijitu Beowolf's eyes, causing it to howl in pain. It frantically lashed out at everything around it before stumbling back, falling over the rail and into a pile of containers labeled 'EXPLOSIVES'.**

**Ruby lowered her weapon and drew in a sharp breath as she watched the Beowolf fell into the explosive containers. "Ooh…"**

**Upon contact, the entire section of the mining facility exploded, making her flinch. She hoped that this collateral damage doesn't affect the rewards of her commission.**

"That was surprisingly easy." Ruby raised her fist to cheer her other-self. "But where's the rest of my team?"

"I was wondering about that as well." Weiss flinched a bit at the exploding mine. It reminded her too much of the news of mine collapsing from a Dust explosion or a White Fang attack went wrong.

"Those 'Taijitu Beowolves' aren't any different than a regular Beowolf," Port noted, doting down quick notes. "However, judging by how they move together. It would appear that these pairs of Beowolves are much more coordinated." It was his previous experiences, research, and careful observation from their movement alone, that the Grimm Studies professor could make a few educated guesses on these Taijitu Beowolves. "But that's just a baseless assumption as of now. It's a shame we don't have more to see of those Taijitu Beowolves to observe."

"Miss Rose," Glynda spoke up, catching Ruby's attention. "The Creatures of Grimm can be extremely unpredictable. One must always put their surroundings into account when making a move. I will not judge or critique what has occurred on-screen as I am unaware of the situation or capability of those Beowolves, but please be cautious of your surroundings for future references. If your teammates were on the ground there, they would have been at risk of being in the blast range. That goes for all of you."

"Yes, Professor Goodwitch." They all chimed.

**The next scene shows Ruby on her scroll, talking with her father, Taiyang. **

**"Dad. Dad, I'm not your… Ye- Dad! I'm not your little girl anymore." Ruby sheepishly glanced over at Oscar, making pleading eyes at him. He awkwardly turned around and placed his hands behind his back, pretending he's not there. "I'm a huntress, an adult! Well, huntress-in-training… What the difference be? One is a job and the other is you being overprotective!"**

Ruby smiled, despite knowing how annoying her father can be. After the death of her mother, she could understand the precaution he has for them. "Dad is still being dad there."

Weiss couldn't help but feel a little bit jealous of Ruby. Neither of her parents was this caring to her. Not even her siblings, though Winter is okay, somewhat.

"Really, Tai?" Oobleck flatly looked at his friend.

Tai sheepishly chuckled. "Hey, I gotta check up on my little girls."

"Dad, you literally drag our conversation for hours and hours if you can." Till this day, they still get those pestering calls from him. No matter how many times Yang assured him, the man will not budge on the matter. "And the weekends don't count."

"But I miss my little girls."

"Daaad!" His daughters groaned, embarrassed.

To the side, Raven simply facepalmed.

**The scene snaps back to Ruby driving the red chair and Oscar filming. **

**"They don't approve of you being a huntress?" **

**"I'll be honest with you. My dad and uncle really do care for it. It's just that they often get these sudden episodes of overprotectiveness and that really bugs me and Yang."**

"Yeah, that sounds like dad and uncle Qrow." Ruby nodded.

"Words spoken any truer." Yang snorted.

Qrow whistled in denial.

Ozpin smirked. "Embarrassed, Qrow?"

"Yeah, yeah. Keep it to yourself, Oz. I'm their cool uncle. I ain't a worrywart like Tai."

**The camera cuts to Ruby climbing up an empty watchtower belonging to an old fortress, taking up position on a metallic rail. **

**"… I think those flock of Nevermores saw me." She said, glancing briefly away from her scope to address Oscar. Two black feathers ricochet off the ledge. "Yup! Yup, they did!" **

**Several more unnaturally sharp feathers quickly shot by and intensified into a flechette storm forcing Ruby and Oscar to abandon their position. Ruby compressed Crescent Rose into its miniature scythe form, while Oscar extended his collapsible staff that looks identical to Ozpin's cane. Together, they met the Nevermores flechette attack, blocking and reflecting their sharp-tipped feathers.**

Cinder and Ozpin's group zeroed in on Oscar's collapsible cane.

_'Don't tell me… He's my next incarnation?'_ Ozpin rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

Cinder also came to the same conclusion but didn't say anything.

"That's my weapon?" Oscar asked.

"Most likely," Pyrrha answered while taking note of his weapon is identical to the Headmaster. "It looks identical to Professor Ozpin's cane if I were, to be honest."

Coco nodded. "Yeah. It really does."

"Hey! It's me working on Crescent Rose!" Ruby interrupted everyone's train of thought.

**The next scene was a time-lase image of Ruby repairing and upgrading her weapon. A large plate of chocolate chip cookies and a glass of milk were placed to the side of the workbench, quickly being depleted and replenished three times during the duration of the time-lapse.**

Tai sighed, "Ruby, what did I say about bringing food and drink to the workshop?"

"Uhhh…" Ruby stuttered, feeling the gaze of her family and Glynda Goodwitch. There is a 'no eating and drinking' policy in the workshop after all. Especially at Beacon. "I didn't bring food to the workshop. I swear."

"And the number of cookies you ate there! That's not healthy for you!"

"We can discuss proper meals later." Maria snapped, shutting down the blond man. "Now pay attention to the screen."

**As the sun sets, Ruby happily wiped a few sweats from her brow and heaved Crescent Rose, pointing it at a target dummy behind her. She tilted her head, lining up her sight into Crescent Rose's scope and took her shot.**

**In conjunction with the sharp gunshot, the scene transitions to an Alpha Beowolf getting impaled by a large scythe from behind. The Alpha Beowolf was brutally sliced in two, sliding apart and revealing Ruby Rose as its slayer. She watched the disintegrating Grimm with a satisfied expression and twirled her scythe.**

"Yikes." Jaune gulped. "That was brutal"

"I doubt Grimm has any feelings." Vernal snarked, "And they themselves are the embodiment of brutality itself."

"I can't argue with that…"

"Hey, good job taking care of an Alpha." Qrow complimented his niece. "Sucker never knew what's coming for it."

"Thanks, uncle Qrow."

**The scene cuts back to the red car front seats. **

**"Feelings? I dunno about their feelings, but you know who has a lot of feelings?" Ruby grinned, steering the conversation away from parental figures to her sister. "Yang bludgeoning people with their golf trophy because they made fun of her hair."**

**Oscar stifled a laugh. "She did what?"**

"She did what?"

"I did what?"

"Yang did what?"

"I'm so proud of you." Raven grinned.

Yang looked at her mother with an uncertain expression. "Thanks. I think? Also, no one disses my hair."

**"Oh yeah. Funny story actually." Ruby giggled, "I'll tell you about it later." **

**"Sure." **

**"Anyway. A huntress and huntsman are a profession, and professionals have standards. Three standards, Oscar." **

**The camera cuts to a moment in Ruby's life at Beacon, showing her teammates a poor sketch of Professor Port with stink lines coming off of him. She grinned brightly, then blew raspberries, making a 'pbbt' sound. **

**"Be polite."**

"Now that's politeness right there." Roman slapped his knees and laughed.

Team RWBY started sweating profusely, remembering the first day of Grimm Studies. Ruby started to look more and more guilty by what she did in the past. As for Qrow, he spat out his drink and started laughing with Tai, while Glynda pinched her brows in annoyance.

"My word! Why I never…!" Port humph.

"That never happened, Professor Port!" Ruby was quick to deny it. She made a mental note to destroy the drawing or give it to Zwei to eat. "I, uh… I would never do something like that!"

**The next scene shows Ruby keeping track of a rolling Boarbatusk, trying to escape by launching itself off a rock and into the air. The crosshairs steadily stayed on the wild movement of the Boarbatusk. Locking in on her target, Ruby pulled the trigger, shooting the rolling Grimm out of the air. **

**Ruby than switched Crescent Rose into scythe mode and spun around, cutting through several Grimm lunging at her from behind with a single stroke.**

**"Be efficient."**

Glynda nodded and hummed in approval.

"Whoa," Oscar said in awe at the swift death Ruby brought to the Creatures of Grimm. Some of them were bulkier and taller than the girl, yet she easily killed them without pausing. "And you guys are just huntresses-in-training?"

"Yup! Just wait till we become licensed huntresses!"

Qrow grinned and pointed at Oscar with a pinky. "Kid, you have yet to see anything with us."

"We still have a long way to go." Pyrrha glanced at Jaune and smiled, "Even then, there's so much for every one of us to learn."

**The final scene shows the entirety of Team RWBY bringing down a large Ursa Major. The fearsome bear-like Grimm angrily roared and barreled towards them in a final attempt to bring Team RWBY down with it. Something flared up from a cliff hundreds of meters away, catching the Ursa Major's attention. It was Ruby Rose aiming at the Ursa Major with her scope.**

**She grinned. **

**The Ursa Major's head reflecting off of the lens of her sniper rifle scope. Her finger tugged on the trigger and fired directly at the camera shot. **

**"And have a plan to kill every Grimm you meet."**

**The screen blacks out.**

**A valiant ending fanfare started playing as it cuts to Team RWBY posing in front of an ancient temple in Emerald Forest.**

"Glad to see us working together in a single scene at least." Yang stretched her arms and winked at Oscar. "I was beginning to think that we were replaced by Oscar."

"There's no way I can replace either of you…" Oscar sheepishly said.

"Yang quit teasing him… Hang on, it's not over yet?"

**The scene then cuts back to Ruby still talking on her scroll with her Tai, looking fed up with her father's overbearingness. **

**"Dad… Dad… P-, yeah… Put… Put Uncle Qrow on the phone!"**

The theater dimly lit up as the screen turned black, ending the viewing.

"Tai." Qrow flatly told his friend. "We have got to work on your check-up calls."

Tai smiled shakily while rubbing the back of his neck.

Ironwood leaned closer and whispered. "Ozpin. That boy…"

"I know. I'll see what I can do. Glynda?"

"I'll look into it, Professor Ozpin."

"As will I." Ironwood leaned back and nested himself in his seat.

_"Moving onto the next viewing."_

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**Pardon my grammar. **


	24. World of Remnant - Aesir Project

**World of Remnant - Aesir Project is a video created by ****Lightning-in-my-Hand. **

**I do not claim ownership.**

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**I have more tests to worry about. Terrific.**

**Planning to do Saving Private Ryan someday. Too amazing to pass up.**

**Pardon my grammar, there might be some mess up along the writing.**

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**World of Remnant - Aesir Project**

**By Lightning-in-my-Hand**

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"What do you mean 'byproduct' of our Great War?" Jaune quizzically asks.

Ozpin calmly lowered his mug, "The Great War resulted in the loss of many territories and lives, Mr. Arc. Till this day, the scars from the war remain." His mind drifted back to one of his previous incarnations. "The scars are still fresh to some."

"It is, by far, one of the most devastating wars recorded in our history." History is Oobleck's forte, after all. He didn't earn his Ph.D. for fun. "Vacuo, for example, didn't always have a desolate wasteland… Bah. I could go on and on about that subject. You all will have to hear about it in our next lecture."

_"Before we begin. Understand that the content might unsettle some. As such, the artistic style of this presentation will be different than what many are used to."_

Winter made a face, "That's not a good sign."

The theater darkened.

**The words 'LUNA' and 'WORLD OF REMNANT' appeared in the pitch blackness, illuminated by the color of bright red. It was eerie silent until the voice of a young woman could be heard.**

**"Should I be talking about this?" She sounded nervous. Scared. "Ah, it doesn't matter." Her tone changed from fearful to steely and accepting. "It's the past, and we've gotta learn from the past if we don't want to repeat it."**

Oobleck grimly nodded, "Words spoken any truer."

**THE AESIR PROJECT**

"Aesir Project?" Glynda eyed Ozpin, wondering if he knew anything about the Aesir Project.

Ozpin shook his head. They glanced at Ironwood.

The general also shook his head. "I had never heard of such projects. Winter, Penny."

"We're on it, sir." They took out their notebooks to take notes.

Cinder and her two underlings also had the same idea as the Atlesian. Whatever this Aesir Project is, Salem might find some usage out of it.

"This will be interesting." Cinder quietly purred.

**"Where to start…? A-a little background on the protocols back then should suffice. Alright…" The darkness lit up to the global map of Remnant, ravaged by flames. Every single major landmass was burning with bright embers, and the map itself… Was blotched with splatters of brown and reddish drop splats.**

Ruby jolted from her seat. "What happened to Remnant?"

Her partner gently pulled her down to her seat. "Sit down. This map must be representing be effects of the Great War."

**A bright blue Dust crystal appeared in the center of the burning Remnant map, followed by the four basic forms of Dust.**

**"Many, many years ago, Dust and its nature was still very much unknown." She shakily continued on, firmly trying to keep her tone consistent. "We were aware that it was possible to fuse Dust directly into one's own body," The scene switches to a minimalist art style of Hazel, raising his arm that's embedded with a sizable, yellow Dust crystal. "but it wasn't efficient enough to fully replace weaponry, a-and over long periods of time it became taxing to the user."**

"Hazel Rainart…" Ozpin grimaced upon seeing Hazel, or an artistic, minimalistic rendition of the large man. The man swore vengeance against the headmaster after the death of his sister, blaming him for her demise.

Jaune scratched his head. "Where is this going?"

**Electricity blazed brightly as it coursed through Hazel's vein. "The human and faunus body automatically shuts down when someone fuses with too much Dust." **

**Hazel faded out and the map of a burning Remnant came back into view, along with the Dust crystal and its four basic elements. "There were mandates from the kingdoms on this practice and pretty much the government was the only entity allowed to do extensive research into this field."**

"That's true. In the past, the council and any governing body were the only ones allowed to experiment with Dust." Weiss explained, mainly to Oscar who didn't know much about the subject. "Only certain associations, who received permission from the governing bodies, are allowed to experiment extensively with Dust."

**"But that didn't stop people…" The camera slowly zooms to Vacuo. A grayish structure could be seen, blatantly standing out in the empty, yellow sand dunes. "Deep in the deserts of Vacuo, a group of private scientists separate and unknown to the government began conducting an illegal human-modification project called the 'Aesir Project'."**

The majority of the audience paused upon hearing that.

Port winced, "Oh, dear."

"Illegal human-modification?" Winter scowled, "How barbaric. Don't tell me this is…" Whatever she was about to say was cut off by the next sentence.

**"The woman who headed this project was a former Atlas politician." **

**The scene switches over to a purple colored minimalistic woman with lilac hair, standing on a podium presenting her ideas to unseen people.**

Ironwood's eyes widen. "What? Why wasn't I aware of this? When was this project proposed?"

"Jim." Qrow glanced at his colleague. "Are you sure you never heard of this? Maybe under a different name?"

"I'll look into it." Ironwood's face was thunderous. "You have my word."

**"Former as in, she proposed this project to the Atlas High Council and was exiled for it." The Atlesian politician was interrupted partway through her presentation and was pointed out to the door.**

"Exiled." Glynda quietly adjusted her glasses, "Surely, they didn't think she'll just give up on her inhumane project, did they?"

"It would seem that they didn't consider it a possibility," Ozpin said darkly. If such a project exists in Remnant, then it would be in their best interest to uncover, dismantle it and bring those responsible to justice. "Resources for conducting Dust experiments are rather expensive."

"At least Atlas Council knew better than to go along with the project." Qrow pondered whether he should drink or stay sober for this presentation. "Not the best move on their end, but I suppose they couldn't arrest her just for proposing an idea."

**The scene fades away to a bronze minimalistic hand raised in the air as if they were volunteering to be part of the project. "People selected for the Aesir Project to become Aesir are chosen because of a specific type of semblance: Absorption." The bronze hand started glowing brightly. "That means the user can absorb an energy source, whether it's kinetic energy,"**

**A minimalistic Yang was shown absorbing a punch with her arm.**

Tai, Qrow, and even Raven frowned upon seeing Yang in a presentation about illegal human experiments. It meant that the bombastic blondie is a potential target for whatever horrific experiment the Aesir Project is made out to be.

"Hey! That's me!" Yang looked smug, before remembering what the viewing is about. "Okay, maybe that's not a good thing."

**"electric energy," **

**The next one showed Nora taking in electricity into her body.**

Ren gripped Nora's hand, startling and causing her to internally squeal.

**"or another person's aura, whatever." And lastly, Adam absorbing an attack with his blade, suddenly illuminating a bright crimson red as his semblance was charged up.**

"Wait! Adam Taurus semblance –"

_"Does not absorb aura."_ The Hosts confirmed, _"The people represented here are merely there for visual presentation and don't necessarily line up to what the narrator says. Pay attention to what comes next. Be warned, the viewing is minimalistic for a reason."_

"Which is saying something." Neo's sign ironically read.

**"The Aesir project used people with absorption semblances." Adam slowly faded away and was replaced with someone with their arm and hand being strapped down to a metal table. "In the beginning months, they had conducted experiments on these people; horrible things like injecting their bodies with inhibitor drugs to bypass their automatic shutdown reflexes," The narrator's voice started to waver, shakily continuing. On-screen, a mechanic arm needle began injecting the person's arm with electricity Dust. "and then fusing them with as much Dust as possible." **

**The arm began spazzing due to an excessive amount of Dust injected into the body.**

The crackling sound of composite metal could be heard as Ironwood fiercely gripped his armrest. If it were just any armrest, it would had long been obliterated by Ironwood's iron grip. The rest of Ozpin's circle made an ugly face, looking outraged by the second.

"Oh, man." Sun looked a bit distressed. "That's not pretty."

**"Sometimes, they injected Dust powder into subjects' bodies to see what would happen." Faint screaming could be heard in the background. Electricity violently coursing through the subject's body, causing it to begin smoking. "The results were…" **

**A blinding light flashed, and the robotic injector withdrew, leaving a bloodied and charred corpse.**

**The narrator choked a bit. "I hope your imagination isn't very vivid, because I don't want to say what happened… And I'm sure you wouldn't be able to stomach it either."**

Glynda hissed, "Monsters. Savages. What kind of sick people would do such a thing?"

"There will always be those whose curiosity will get the better of their morals." Such as that of Dr. Merlot. "If they had any, to begin with." Ozpin calmly said, looking over at Winter and Penny taking notes. Their expression could be described as horrified. "Perhaps I should assist you all in documenting this as well."

"Well, I'm glad we don't have to see that." Qrow decided to take a quick sig out of his flask. "Care to tell us if these sickos are still active, Hosts?"

_"We cannot answer that. Remain watching. There are clues for you to piece together."_

They didn't look very happy about that.

Winter looked frosty, "We don't have much of a choice either way. Pay close attention, Penny."

"Understood."

**Another subject was strapped down to the metal table. Again, the only part of them that were visible are their arm and hand. The robotic needle hovered overhead. **

**"Anyway… They eventually got to the point that their subjects could actually survive the following experiments." The robotic needle plunged itself into the subject's arm. "They began… Merging Dust directly with the subjects' bones. This was because Dust would not bond with mature blood cells, but would bond with blood cells still in formation inside bone marrow…"**

"Ugh. That sounds very painful." Coco shivered.

Velvet rubbed her arm instinctively. "I can't imagine."

**The subject's arm begins shaking violently, but this time the subject wasn't electrocuted. Instead, the subject's bone started glowing a golden hue, successfully fusing Dust into their body, emitting crackling waves of electricity within their skin.**

**"Or at least, that's how I understand it." The narrator paused very briefly before continuing. "The most noticeable side effect of the experimentation was that a subject's aging process and metabolism was changed significantly. Their bodies grow half as fast as a normal human's. And they became drastically more sensitive to cold temperatures."**

"That's one hell of an anti-aging treatment." Coco joked to keep the mood slightly afloat. "Definitely not going seeking that kind of treatment."

"Time moves by quickly." Maria told her, "Trust me on that."

Furious scribbling could be heard from Penny, writing down her observation. "Sensitive to cold temperatures. Aging and metabolism altered significantly around half the normal rate…"

"Not out loud." Winter chastised her.

Oscar fidgeted in his seat, clearly uncomfortable. "Is that what Dust does to your body? If it doesn't… Outright…"

"We still don't know the full effects of what Dust can do to your body," Weiss answered. On some level, Dust related health issues are personal to her with the passing of her grandfather, Nicholas Schnee, due to Dust deteriorating his health. "Most recorded case is from medical records, and those are confidential for ethical reasons."

"How ironic." Qrow softly chuckled to himself. "Schnee. Ethical. Ha."

**The scene changes to a subject grabbing a bright blue Dust crystal. **

**"The result of their more successful tests were the Aesir;" Blue lightning-sparked out of the Dust crystal, being absorbed by the Aesir holding it. "people who could absorb energy straight from Dust crystals. Store that energy in their own bodies, and then project them outwards."**

**As a demonstration, a female Aesir unleashed ice Dust from her body, creating a large glacial body in front of her.**

Winter shook her head sadly. "All that torture for this? Anyone can inject Dust into their body and project it outward."

"… There's more this." Ozpin quietly said, "I can't shake the feeling that this Aesir Project is building up to something."

"I agree." Ironwood nodded, "They wouldn't waste this much resources for something like this."

**"If it wasn't released over a long period of time, the Dust energy inside them would react with their aura," The next scene shows the female Aesir kneeling on the floor. Her entire body was lighting up with crackling energy that began to overload her entire body. "burn it away and build up exponentially unit it erupts… Violently." **

**The scene pans out to scientists behind protective glass, watching the female Aesir explode.**

Everyone stilled at that.

"I feel sick." Velvet did look a bit green.

Pyrrha covered her mouth with both hands, shaking in horror at the brutal end of the female Aesir. "H-how many more suffered this?" She felt numb, even to Jaune rubbing her back to calm her quivering. "Why would they do this?"

Nobody had a real answer for that. The Hosts remained silent, letting the presentation answer the Mistralian champion's question.

"No wonder people don't trust scientists and doctors…" Mercury muttered to himself, remembering how his legs were amputated and replaced with prosthetics. "Damn quacks."

**"They learned this the hard way." The narrator's voice cracked with raw emotion. "The scientists didn't care how many people they lost, though. They just learned and became more careful when testing out the successful subjects' abilities." **

**Faint darkness coated the map of Remnant. The trailing blaze of fire that stained the landmasses was all that prevented the map from becoming total darkness. **

**"That's what the real nature of the Aesir Project was. Its goal was to create a fighter that could gradually amplify the power of Dust that is absorbed in the body." There was hysteria in her voice as she continued explaining. Outlines of humanoid figures with glowing Dust infused skeletons began populating the screen. **

**"Y-you see, they wanted to create a perfect super-soldier, capable of weaponizing pure Dust without guns or machinery. These soldiers were to be an insurance plan in case another Great War broke out. This was happening just in the wake of the Faunus Rights Revolution, mind you, people were scared shi – Well, paranoid."**

"Is she justifying this?" Winter narrowed her eyes, icily glaring at the screen. "Fear doesn't mean you have the right to forcefully experiment on people. And I highly doubt anyone would volunteer to be in this horrid project."

"Possibly." Ozpin tapped on his armrest. "Though, it sounds like this was the general excuse for creating the Aesir Project."

The faunus in the room looked slightly uncomfortable with the mentioning of the Faunus Rights Revolution. The conflict was nothing compared to the Great War, but it was close in some respect.

Ironwood clenched his armrest, "A time of turmoil. There were many things overlooked during that era, and for this to occur during the revolution, it's much more recent than we would like. If anything were to fall through to obscurity, the Faunus Rights Revolution would be the timeframe to look at."

**The narrator's voice steadied as she regained her composure. "I mean, the Great War was terrible for the people left undefended in the kingdoms. No one was protecting them from the Grimm. Can you imagine a second one?"**

"That was a legitimate fear back then." Oobleck looked sorrowful, maybe even apologetic. "There were talks of another Great War breaking out should things spiral out of control, and the increased attack from the Grimm didn't help either."

"But there's no way a second war can happen today." Weiss said firmly, "Every kingdom has treaties and partnership with other kingdoms to ensure that won't happen."

"Yeah!"

Ozpin's inner circle didn't comment on that, seeing how Salem is making her move.

Cinder's lips twitched upward. Be it that the four kingdoms are allies. In the end, each kingdom has its own agendas that are easily exploited. Their citizens are no different either, easy to manipulate even if their grand scheme doesn't go far. All it takes is a few seeds of doubt and fear to take root in the hearts and minds of people. A slight push and they'll turn on each other.

It's how Salem has always ensured that the world is never truly united.

**The map darkened, "They only ever got to a stage of testing where Aesir could project lighting fields, though."**

"It doesn't sound like they got very far," Roman noted.

"I wonder why." Read Neo's sign.

**In the darkness, a female Aesir with blond hair shimmered into view, clutching her head. **

**"At some point, one subject went berserk." Dust energy started illuminating from her body, fading in and out. "This wasn't within their calculations. Yeah, she did happen to suffer from manic-depressive disorder, but for some reason, they didn't think that would have an effect of the Dust energy she absorbed."**

"The narrator sounds much more distressed compared to her previous narration." Penny's enhanced analytical abilities allowed her to pick up the very small and subtle hints. "Her tone… It sounds like this is quite personal. Almost like she was one of the test subjects."

Ozpin's inner circle frowned, looking quizzically at the secretly android girl while Ironwood and Winter put some trust in the girl's analysis. After all, Dr. Polendina did not hold back in developing state of the art technology. Especially for his 'daughter', Penny.

"Does that mean…?"

**The blond female Aesir's skeleton was shown to be pinkish, or violet. **

**"It did. This subject was earmarked for euthanasia, and unfortunately, she found out." The Aesir's skeleton color turned red. "In her panic, the fallout from her uncontrolled Dust energy destroyed the laboratory," Bright lights began discharging from her body, tearing the air around her. "and killed the researchers who ran the facility and every test subject besides her."**

"They got what they deserved." Maria didn't have any sympathy for the researcher, though she did feel sorry for the test subjects. "Maybe not the test subjects with her, but at least they won't suffer anymore."

Glynda hesitantly responded. "I'm reluctantly inclined to agree with you."

**Darkness. **

**When the lights died down, only darkness remained. **

**Until a flickering light came through. A familiar building completely engulfed in flames was blazing brilliantly in the Vacuo desert. **

**"Nothing remained of the people involved in the Aesir Project in Vacuo, and since they built their facility in uncharted desert, no one ever found the ruins of the laboratory. Supposedly, nobody survived."**

"That doesn't necessarily mean the project is over, right?" Blake hoped that wasn't the case, but her pessimism didn't help.

"Maybe not. Some of their research might still remain there. At best, whatever was there is gone for good." Said Tai.

**The camera pans out to a familiar blond-haired girl, cloaked in brown robes. The most striking thing about her is her flaming, violet eyes. **

**The Aesir's eyes seem to be that of a Maiden's.**

"There was a survivor." It dawned on Penny that the narrator could possibly be the Aesir who went berserk and survived. "I presume the one narrating was once part of the Aesir Project."

While the others clamor over Penny's statement, those aware of the existence of the Maidens frowned heavily. The flaming eyes, the ability to seemingly utilized the power of the elements… The Aesir required Dust, but the potency of projecting Dust is possibly superior to any others.

_"Artificial Maidens. At least, that's what many would consider the Aesir to be."_ The Hosts word was directed only to those with knowledge of the Maidens.

"..." Ozpin mumbled something inaudible under his breath.

Cinder quietly took that in and wrote something down in her notebook. She was wondering whether she should present this information to Salem, or not. Artificial Maidens… That opens up too many possibilities that could endanger or render her useless to Salem. Arthur Watts would most definitely love to look more into this Aesir Project, and the Atlesian scientist hates her as much as she hates him.

She'll keep this project to herself for now.

"We're going to have more work on our hands…" Qrow looked down at his hand, gripping his signature flask. "I'm too sober for this."

"Let's continue this discussion later." Ozpin shushed them, "Our Hosts appears ready to move on."

_"We will be continuing on with our next viewing. We must warn you that the next one is rather unpleasant."_

"Are you sure you're not trying to mentally and emotionally torment us?" Maria snapped at the Hosts. "Because most of our viewings have been rather horrific."

_"Our apologies for that. We'll readjust our schedule after several more presentations. For now, we shall warn you. You will be witnessing the second world war. Particularly, the Pacific Theater."_

Oobleck raised his hand, not that he needed to. "This is after the first world war, or the alternate world's Great War, correct?"

_"Correct. A global conflict that spans for years to come. A conflict that pales many wars yet lacking in many others. This is one of many battles and wars waged in their world. It will be gruesome."_

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**NEXT: Hacksaw Ridge - Siege and Assault scene**

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**Pardon my grammar.**


	25. Hacksaw Ridge - The Siege Begins

**I am terribly sorry. This is the first half of Hacksaw Ridge. I tried to keep my story schedule in order, but I cannot afford to lag behind in my coursework. I may have to push back my writings for the time being until I can get some breathing room.**

**So sorry... Please enjoy the first half of Hacksaw Ridge. **

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**I owe nothing.**

**Pardon my grammar.**

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**Hacksaw Ridge - The Siege Begins**

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"I, err. I should be fine." Oscar said with some firm conviction in his voice. He saw some rather gory scenes from previous viewings, and he helped slaughter poultry on other farms before. This viewing should be fine, right? "Um. What about you?"

Ruby had her red hood over her head already in case she saw something she didn't want to see. "I, uh… I'll also be fine. I'm a huntress-in-training after all."

A snort could be heard from Raven. "You might as well make the best of this. The world out there is unforgiving. This would be a good opportunity to get used to what lies ahead in the world."

Her daughter, Yang, shot her a piercing glare before returning her attention to Ruby.

"… I hate to admit this, but Raven is kinda right on this." Tai hesitantly said.

"Glad to see you still have some sense in you."

"Things are about to get messy." Mercury snickered and leaned back on his chair. "Let's see how awful their next world war is."

Emerald rolled her eyes, "Yeah. Keep up that bravado. Don't start looking green on me."

"Oooh. Was that a pun?" He motioned to her green hair.

"Ha. Ha."

"It's starting." Cinder shushed them.

**The scene opens up to a barrel of a three-gun turret rotating to the audience's left. Overhead, the sky was sickly gray, foretelling the gruesome battle that will soon take place. With the naval artillery turrets in position, It was time to retake the island from the occupying Imperial Japanese Army.**

**Bright fiery and deafening explosions reverberated through the air as the naval guns began their bombardment upon the island. The sound of mechanical whirling could be heard over the thunderous blast, dictating the elevation of the naval artillery turrets. The island was now heavily peppered by artillery, laying waste to everything.**

**Occupying below the island's cliff were the American soldiers tasked with ridding the island of Japanese occupation. They gathered around the cliff, watching thick black smoke and orange explosions thunder overhead. The camera pans up slowly, showcasing the devastation power of the US navy.**

"Off to a showcase of power." Qrow raised one finger from his flask and pointed at the screen. "Not saying you could have done a better job with your military display in Vale, Jimmy."

Ironwood raised an eyebrow, "I'm getting a conflicting message here."

Qrow simply shrugged. "Hey, I'm drunk. Partial."

"Would it kill you to address the general properly?" Winter sighed.

"Maybe."

**A soldier wielding a flamethrower shook his head, expression unreadable. "Nobody could survive that shit."**

**"Oh, but they can." Several people turned their heads to glance at the person who just spoke. It was a soldier with a distant and haunted expression.**

"Sounds like their enemies are quite resilient." Cinder noted.

"And for a world without aura or semblances, I can hardly imagine anyone surviving an overwhelming attack like that." Port twirled his fancy mustache, looking grim. "That certainly speaks volumes."

Ironwood remained quiet, slightly sympathizing with the haunted-looking soldier. It was the look he saw in many others and himself. A distant look into a nightmare that haunts their mind for months and years to come. A mental scar upon their malleable minds that potentially warps and deforms their thoughts and action.

"James…" Glynda softly shook him out of his stupor.

He merely smiled back at her and nodded. "I'm alright. Thank you, Glynda."

**As the bombardment started to die down, it was time for the soldiers to ascend the cliffs. The majority of the soldiers looked down on the ground with a fearful or conflicted expression. Everyone else had their attention numbly drawn to the cliffs where they will soon be advancing through what could be described as hell.**

**Several more artillery bombardment struck the island, sending debris everywhere. With the last artillery shell landing, it was time for them to advance.**

**Without a word, the soldiers bravely advanced towards the cliff in columns. A thick netted rope was already established on the rocky cliffside that will serve as their ladder to the deadlands above.**

"Into the massive nest of Grimm, they go." Roman huffed. It baffles him that anyone would be so willing to go through harsh training and die just like that. Not a single sense of survival.

Neo nodded, raising her sign. "It's going to be a bloodbath." She flipped it over to the other side. "An ugly one."

"They're going up there?" Yang frowned, "What's the point? They could get their ships to bomb the place away, all day."

"I don't think that's viable," Jaune replied, looking nervous. "I-I mean, they can't hold ground without soldiers going in to control it."

Ironwood and Winter nodded in agreement. Basic that they are, foot infantry is a vital component in all operations. It's a necessity, but life is more precious in the world of Remnant, hence the main driving force behind automating the majority of their military forces.

**Hordes of soldiers slowly made their way up the roped ladder, huddling down behind any cover they could find once they made it to the top.**

**What laid before the Americans was a dusty wasteland. Whatever once stood in the area was now in complete ruin. Burned, withered trees stood stripped of their vegetation and branches; rubbles of demolished structures laid in pieces; a single corpse of a Japanese soldier laid face up on the battered ground.**

**Everything was stilled.**

**And everyone was nervous.**

"It's foggy." Pyrrha frowned, "Was it from the bombing earlier?"

No one had an answer for that.

"I'm amazed that some of the trees are still standing after all of that." Neptune quietly said.

Sun agreed with him. "No kidding."

**"Brown." A soldier with a radio on his backpack whispered to another soldier.**

**"What?"**

**The radio operator tossed his fellow brother a field phone. "Give this to Jesse."**

**In front of them, their commander began signaling them to move forward. An older soldier exchanged looks with the commander as they moved out.**

"Moving out." Jaune gulped.

Ren and Nora gripped each other hands, feeling a familiar sense of dread spreading within them.

"Are you two alright?" Pyrrha had a concerned look on her face, along with Jaune.

They nodded. "Just some… Some bad feelings." Nora said, "Like a recurring, awful feeling."

"Nothing we can't pull through." Ren firmly said.

**Everyone began spilling out from their covers, slowly moving, crouching. A section of the assault force took up positions behind rubbles, while another section continued moving forward, scanning the area for any threats. They silently advanced through the ruined fields, over the corpses of Japanese soldiers.**

**One of the corpses had its entrails spilled out onto the dirt ground from a mangled lower torso of a Japanese soldier.**

"Urk." Weiss covered her mouth, swearing she could smell the scent of decay.

Winter eyed her sister with a worried look but returned her attention to the screen when Team RWBY and Oscar tended to her little sister's aid.

_I'm glad…_ Winter thought to herself.

**The Americans began taking up positions in the craters and trenches. One of them fell into the crater coming face to face with a corpse being eaten by rats and maggots. He let out a small yelp, recoiling in disgust, and scooted away from the pest infested corpse.**

Coco gagged, "Me too buddy. Me too."

"Being able to see is both a blessing and a curse." Fox softly muttered to himself.

"They say ignorance is bliss." Yatsuhashi patted a slightly paled Velvet on the shoulder. "But it's best if we open our eyes to the consequences and effects of our actions."

**They hunkered down behind anything for cover, wary of the heavily foggy hills just ahead of them. Without any clear visual on the area, it was a potential deathtrap for them. As everyone got into position, a lone soldier crawled towards a large dirt mound with a handful of deceased American soldiers from the 96th Infantry Division who were unfortunately caught up the bombardment.**

**The lone soldier frowned slightly, unable to see ahead of the foggy environment and decided to get a little bit closer to the dirt mound. He leaned forward, resting his arm on the thigh of the American soldier corpse…**

**"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"**

The sudden jump scare startled everyone.

"Good heavens! My old heart!" Maria placed a hand over her chest and cursed.

"Eep!" Ruby yelped and pulled her red hood over her head.

Ironwood eyes widen, realizing what was about to happen next. "Not good!"

**The supposedly deceased American soldier instantly sat up, screaming at the top of his lungs, causing the other soldier to scream as well.**

**A gunshot echoed in the foggy distance, ripping a bloody hole through the 96th infantryman's eye.**

"Oh!" Vernal winced.

**Blood and brain matters splattered onto the startled soldier's face. Another bullet flew into the soldier's head, taking off his helmet and brain as Japanese machine gunners unleashed a stream of bullets, shredding the soldiers, and kickstarting the beginning of a brutal battle.**

**All hell broke loose.**

**Bullets tore through the soldiers' ranks, felling them in doves. Explosions shook the earth, killing those within the blast radius, or staggering the lucky ones. It was a bloodbath. Soldiers dying left and right. This is a battle like many others: Bloody, painful, cruel…**

**There is no heroic charge or stand. Every single soldier here, no matter which side or who they are, are faced with the dilemma of their mortality.**

"Wha…!" Oscar was taken aback by how sudden and gory their deaths were. The escalation of violence and destruction was different in a sense compared to what he had witnessed, even from the Dark Tournament viewing.

"Don't look." Weiss gasped, covering his eyes.

None was impacted the most than Ozpin and Ironwood. The former lived for millennia and had witnessed many devastation and bloody battles. The latter had his fair share of horror and trauma in his military career, but none on a greater scale like this against other humans and faunus.

"Is this what humanity would look like if we were polishing our weapons solely against each other?" Ozpin mumbled to himself.

**"Incoming!" Shouted a soldier, aiming for anything he could visually make out from the distance. A loud whistling sound could be heard overhead as a mortar shell fell near his position, killing him and another unlucky soldier.**

**It felt like there's not a single place on this island that is safe. Mortars continued to drop on the Americans' entrenched positions, bullets continuously whistling through the airs and into skulls. Those who bravely rushed forward were either cut down by swaths of bullets or engulfed in a fiery explosion.**

Mercury set his jaw, "These guys aren't backing down."

"It doesn't look like they have much of a choice." Said Emerald, "Ugh. I can't believe they can survive this…"

"Humanity will always find a way to survive." Cinder neutrally watched the carnage, "They always do."

**"Down! Down!"**

**Nobody needed to be told twice, or even once. Through the relentless barrage of bullets and explosive bombardments, the Americans still held their positions. However, casualties are mounting as the fierce engagement dragged on in what felt like hours.**

**A flamethrower operator hid behind a dirt mound, pointing the nozzle aimlessly over his cover. Nearby, a pair of soldiers barely rushed pass the flamethrower operator, only to be stopped short by Japanese fire support. He only spared them a very brief glance and continued to keep his eyes on what lies before him.**

Blake swallowed her salvia, remembering her time with the White Fang. How many White Fang soldiers did she witness die around her during their operations against the SDC? How many times did she glance at their dead bodies and agreed with Adam, that their sacrifice was necessary?

"Are all wars on their world like this?" Blake asked the Hosts.

_"Many are like this. Some are worse, some are less so."_

"But why?"

_"Differences, greed, ambition, hatred… The reasons of conflicts are not always defined but understood. Just like the world you know and don't."_

Ruby looked distressed, finding it hard that the people of Remnant could reach this kind of cruelty. Sure, there are the radical White Fang, the SDC with their unethical practice, and Remnant's Great War. However, she always thought that such violence is a thing of the past or would never reach the kind shown on-screen. "You're saying our world is no different than theirs?"

_"Perhaps. One would be amazed to find that the others are not so different than oneself."_

That didn't sit well with many of the audience members.

**In another entrenched position, two American machine gunners were positioned behind a ridge, nested with sandbags, firing into the fog. Their suppressive fire was cut short when a mortar landed right on top of them, brutally dismembering one of the machine gunner's upper and lower torsos, tossing innards everywhere.**

Nora felt her stomach churned, feeling somewhat guilty for her love of explosions.

"It's okay, Nora," Ren assured her, also looking uneasy. "It's okay. You're not at fault for anything."

**"Where the hell are they?!" Shouted soldier to another fellow soldier while they took cover behind a fallen log. "I can't see nothing!"**

**The land ahead of them was coated with thick gray fog, populated by skeletal and burnt trees. Only flashes from the muzzles of Japanese firearms were the best they could pinpoint their location, which is difficult enough in this chaotic environment.**

"They have them pinned down." Fox squinted his eyes to see if he could see through the thick fog.

"It doesn't look like they have the means of tracking enemies through in the fog," Winter said to herself. "They'll have to eliminate the hostiles from their current position or move forward. Unless they still have artillery support, both options will lead to heavy casualties regardless.

**"Beats me, pal!" His partner shouted back, flinching slightly as a bullet struck the wooden log.**

**"Where the fu-!" A bullet tore through his right cheek, sending his helmet flying and leaving a horrid gash across his face. The soldier's expression was that of disbelief before a bullet embedded himself into the bridge of his nose, killing him.**

**His partner glanced at his KIA comrade and wordlessly resumed holding his position.**

Ironwood shut his eyes tightly and opened them again, remembering some of his deceased friends and teammates during his younger years.

"I… I can't imagine how someone can keep their c-cool when their teammates… Die right next to them." Ruby stuttered, her entire body curled defensively. Team RWBY responded by huddling together on their team leader, easing her nerves.

**The camera changed perspective to another American soldier named Smitty Ryker with his back against a tree. He spotted a dismembered corpse with only its upper torso remaining and pulled it up near his face, giving the audience an up-close shot of the bloodied, mangled corpse.**

"Oscar."

"I c-can handle this." He said, voice wavering. He'll probably never get used to seeing dead people.

Pyrrha let out a small yelp, "He's not thinking of…?"

**Smitty looked hesitant, before gritting his teeth. He heaved the corpse in front of him like a shield and rushed towards the enemy, firing his assault rifle at anything that moves, killing three Japanese soldiers. As he continued advancing, the Americans were also pushing onward, besieging the Japanese positions with artilleries and mortars to which the Japanese returned in kind.**

**Bullets flew and struck the corpse shield, taking all the bullets for him while he dispatched two more Japanese soldiers. Smitty finally arrived upon a large earthwork to take cover and dropped the corpse in favor of it.**

Roman wiped his hand on his fancy coat in disgust. "It was effective at least. Queasy, but effective."

"He must do what he can do to survive." Raven emotionlessly said.

**The scene transitioned between individuals and groups of soldiers: A soldier with a small mustache shakily breathing heavily while he crawled over dead logs and muddy ground. Overhead, other soldiers were daringly sprinting through the battlefield, managing to take cover behind logs and dirt mounds.**

**Two soldiers dashed the shifting frontlines; two bullets struck one of them on the shoulders, causing him to collapse into a ditch.**

Qrow shook his head. "Unlucky. Two bullets, two shoulders. What are the chances?"

"He's alive at least, hopefully." Tai tried to push a slightly more positive outlook for his friend. Fortune and misfortune are a touchy subject for the huntsman.

"Guess he is rather lucky, and in pain."

**His partner shouted and dropped into the ditch with his wounded comrade, grabbing him by the shoulders and pulling him towards relative safety.**

**"Come here!"**

**His wounded companion let out a painful cry, alerting a group of Japanese soldiers to their position.**

**Four Japanese soldiers let out a war cry and pointed their rifles towards them, but before they could fire a single shot, the flamethrower operator came into range and unleashed a stream of burning liquid onto the Japanese soldiers.**

**"Oh shit!" The prone soldier yelped, ducking.**

**Flaming liquids coated the Japanese soldiers, making them scream and flail. Time slowed slightly, switching between the painful screams of the Japanese soldier, to the flamethrower operator lighting up the battlefield.**

Cinder smirked, sending shivers down her underlings and reluctant coworkers. An indirect bolstering of the fiery death she can inflict on her enemies and disobedient subordinates are always welcome.

"What a terrifying weapon," Ozpin muttered.

"It is." Ironwood nodded in agreement, "The weapon must be used for clearing out fortified positions."

"It's horrible." Pyrrha covered her mouth, looking extremely conflicted.

Ozpin nodded grimly, "Indeed. It's war."

**The soldier glanced back up to see that the Japanese soldiers were taken care of and checked on his wounded comrade. Luckily, a medic was nearby and was called over to the ditch to treat the wounded.**

**The battle continued to rage on in what appears to be in the Americans' favor. Smitty went full Rambo, running out from his cover with a grin, mercilessly gunning down an enemy. He then popped a grenade from his pouch, ripped the pin with his teeth, and tossed it over an encampment. A Japanese soldier that was lying in wait in an ambush was blown out of cover, allowing Smitty to maneuver behind the dirt mounds.**

Winter frowned, "He seems to be enjoying this."

"Considering the overall severity of his situation, he would be under a lot of stress. I would presume that it's his coping mechanism, though I'm not a licensed psychiatrist or psychologist to make that distinction." Ironwood would have submitted every soldier there to a psychiatrist or psychologist extensively. "Every single of one of them will need it..."

"If they survive," Qrow said darkly, then grimaced at his harsh words. "Forget what I said, my mind ain't in the right place right now."

**Smitty ducked and laid on his side to the mound, not realizing another Japanese soldier was hidden nearby, prowling towards him with a knife in hand.**

Glynda narrowed her eyes, "A potential fatal mistake. Always check your back."

"Oh crap, behind you!" Coco instinctively shouted.

Maria shook her head slightly, "He can't hear you."

**Suddenly, Smitty remembered to check his back and did just that, spotting the Japanese lunging towards him. By luck, his enemy's attack was intercepted by Desmond Doss, tackling the Japanese soldier into the ground.**

**"Get out of the way!" Smitty shouted, aiming his weapons at them.**

"Don't just lay there and point a gun at them, help him!" Weiss urgently cried.

"It's a very dedicated and volatile situation they are in." There was a look on agitation on Winter's face. "Who knows what the best action he should take."

**Desmond and the Japanese soldier grappled with each other, until the Japanese gained an upper hand and flipped Desmond over to the ground, strangling him. However, this gave Smitty a narrowed opportunity to shoot, and he did just that, unloading several bullets into the backside of the Japanese soldier.**

**The Japanese soldier went limp on Desmond, who froze for a brief second before pushing the corpse off of him. He and Smitty exchanged glances, the latter's face seemed to be a mixture of gratitude and something… Unreadable.**

**Without a word, Smitty cranked his gun and got off from the ground to rejoin the fight. Desmond hastily picked himself up and went after him.**

"You're welcome," Vernal muttered in Desmond stead.

"It's not uncommon for soldiers to silently thank their brothers and sisters-in-arms," Penny explained to the bandit girl. "Especially in a high-stress environment."

"Right…"

**The screen faded into darkness.**

_"We'll pause here for now to ease your mind."_

"It's not over?" Yang said in disbelief.

_"This is just the beginning for many."_

Oscar anxiously rubbed his hands together and placed them on his lap like a scolded schoolboy. "I don't like the sound of that."

"I wonder why you are showing us this," Pyrrha said tiredly. "What are we here for?"

"Yeah, what are we here for? Can't you give us something aside from 'it's beyond our understanding?'" Jaune spoke up. "Maybe something that doesn't 'render our mind' into… Ah. I can't remember what you guys said way back…" He looked slightly embarrassed for tripping over his sentences.

"Hey, blond boy. Try not to anger our Hosts, will ya?" Roman cautiously said.

_"There's not a single way for us to properly explain your predicament, for now. We shall continue this viewing shortly. For now, we recommend time amongst your peers."_

"Guess we don't have much of a choice." Sun shrugged.

* * *

**NEXT: Hacksaw Ridge - The Siege Continues**

* * *

**Pardon my grammar.**


	26. Hacksaw Ridge - The Siege Continues

**Finally. My classes are over, for now...**

**Summer classes comes later, but I hope that doesn't hinder me in releasing some of the stories and chapters I had planned this year. That said, in what has been forever... Enjoy!**

* * *

**I owe nothing. All characters belong to their respective owners.**

**Pardon my grammar.**

* * *

**Hacksaw Ridge - The Siege Continues**

* * *

"Oh boy." Yang sarcastically groaned, "Back to another viewing of horrible death and destruction we go."

Vernal snorted, "And you wanted to be a huntress."

"Want. To be a huntress." The blond girl sneered in obvious disdain towards the bandit girl. She cannot believe her mother ditched her for this prick. "I'm still sticking to my guns."

Ruby wrapped an arm around her sister and tried her best to look optimistic. "Yeah!"

"No choice but to go through with this," Neptune said tiredly.

Sun shared the same uneasy look with his partner. "Yeah…"

"While I certainly wish all of you didn't witness the cruelty of reality this soon... The truth is that our world can be just as unforgiven as the one shown before us." Glynda made a face before making a few of her thoughts more vocal. "Perhaps not as many bloody wars as theirs."

Oobleck nodded, "Certainly a few skirmishes here and there, and several notable wars between kingdoms. The only war that can come remotely close is Remnant's Great War, according to the archives our good Hosts has provided me."

The Doctor of History scrunched his face at the numbers listed on the papers granted to him and his peers, magically conjured up out of thin air. An estimate of 85 million people died within this second world war in six years. This beats out the number of deaths from the first world war, which was estimated to be around 20 million deaths. The number was staggering enough that those who glanced over the papers felt incredibly small and insignificant.

"It's a miracle they still have enough people to continue fighting after their first great war." Ironwood clenched and unclenched his hand. "Any number of casualties for any kingdom isn't something they can shrug off. Especially with these numbers."

Ozpin stared at the dark screen before sighing when it flickered to life. "It's starting."

**Darkness coated the screen as the sound of gunfire and screams of pain and death filled the air before lifting the dark veil to a bleak, dusty world in a pale light. Soldiers continue to rush forth deeper into the contested lands. A small squad of soldiers quickly hurried through the barren lands while taking fire before dropping down on the ground for cover, whilst an unlucky soldier from the group was shot through the chest and fell.**

**Japanese mortars and artillery shells exploded throughout the shifting lands, sending American soldiers flying in all directions. Despite heavy resistance and bombardment, the Americans pressed on the offense, sliding through the dirt ground to what little cover they could find.**

"**Stretcher! Stretcher!"**

**Over the sound of heavy gunfire, Corporal Desmond Doss could hear someone calling for a stretcher. He picked himself up from the ground and glanced around, just in time to watch a mortar shell came falling near a fellow soldier, blowing his legs out in a red bloody mist mixed with brown dirt and dust.**

Mercury let out a quiet hiss, instinctively clutching his legs. The ghost pains from that 'faithful' day where his father replaced his legs with metallic ones briefly returned to torment the boy.

Others winced in sympathy for the soldier who had his legs blown off.

**In another area, a lone soldier laid cowering behind a small dirt ridge, hugging his rifle in fear while other soldiers charged past him over the ridge.**

"Poor guy…" Velvet said sadly.

Sun nodded, "I can't blame him."

"In a battle this intense, I doubt anyone could." Ironwood steadily added in.

**He is then joined by Sergeant Howell, who dropped down beneath the ridge to get a look at the situation and was about to advance before he finally caught sight of the soldier cowering nearby. The poor soldier's eyes were shut tight, and his facial expression conveys only fear and hesitance.**

**Sergeant Howell placed a firm hand on the soldier's arm. "Get up. Keep moving, son!"**

"Can't he stay there?" Ruby quietly questioned the sergeant, despite knowing he cannot hear her.

"**I can't. I'm wounded." The soldier whimpered, shaking his head.**

Roman snorted, "Should have thought twice about your career choice."

"Wonder where all that military training went." Neo's sign read.

"**There's nothing wrong with you." Howell inspected him before pulling him up by the arm.**

**Pck!**

**A grenade bounced over the ridge and hit the soldier on the face. Startled, the soldier to reeled away from the grenade as the fuse hissed and sparked, ready to detonate.**

"Grenade!" Jaune yelped.

"**Shit!" Howell cursed and quickly reacted by reaching towards the grenade. "Hang on, kid." He calmly said and threw the grenade over the ridge. The sergeant then threw his body on top of the soldier as the grenade exploded, sending dirt and rocks everywhere. "Move!" Howell commanded, dragging the soldier up. "A sitting duck's a dead one!"**

**The soldier quickly got to his feet and followed the sergeant without protest.**

"I would have love to meet this man." Ironwood admired the sergeant's calmness and reaction to the predicament they were in. Especially when the sergeant protectively covered the soldier's body with his own. "He cares greatly for his men, I can tell."

His peers shared similar acknowledgment.

"A quality we can all admire." Ozpin nodded with a smile small.

**Near the backlines, Desmond carried the wounded soldier who had his legs blown off towards a nearby makeshift medical area.**

"**Move! Go, go, go!" Someone shouted.**

**Soldiers staying near the backlines were helping their wounded comrades towards the nearest medic they could find.**

"**This guy's a priority!" Desmond told a medic who came rushing towards him.**

**Another medic hurried over and the three placed the wounded soldier down near a rock.**

"**We got him, we got him."**

"**Here. Easy, now."**

**A medic glanced at the wounded soldier's missing leg, which was now a tattered, bloody flesh with bones sticking out.**

Several students went pale upon taking a decent look at the devastating injury.

"I can't imagine how painful that is." Pyrrha shivered at the sight.

Nora sucked in her breath. "Maybe I should tone down my leg breaking tendency…"

"**A priority? You ever heard of a triage?" He said to Desmond, "He'll be dead before we get him down."**

"W-what's a triage?" Ruby meekly asked.

"It's a system determining who gets priority in medical assistance," Winter answered, having been taught of this during her Specialist training.

"And this guy isn't getting high priority?" Yang motioned at the screen, fighting against the nauseous feeling she was having. "Look at the guy, his leg is ripped apart!"

"They did say he might not make it in time." Neptune gulped.

"**You don't know that!" Desmond shouted over the roar of heavy fighting. They stared at each other in brief silence. "Get him down. All right?"**

**The medic gave in, seeing the intensity of Desmond's eyes and patted Desmond on the arm. "Okay. Okay, Go!"**

"Those eyes of his certainly display his unyielding determination and concern for his allies." Said Ozpin.

"Admirable," Qrow grunted in response.

"**Okay. Okay." Desmond let out a breath of relief and returned the pat before leaving.**

"**It's all right, buddy." The medic turned to the wounded soldier; whose face was contorted in great pain. He placed an assuring hand on his face. "We're going to get you home."**

"I hope he makes it." Blake gave her silent prayer to the injured soldier.

"Us too, Blake. Us too."

**The focus returns to Desmond, running through the battlefield towards the frontlines, hoping to aid whoever needs medical assistance there. He dropped down with a group of three soldiers, randomly firing at anything they could make out from the dirt mounds that served as their cover.**

"Is it me, or this guy isn't carrying any weapons on him?" Vernal asked the Hosts.

"_Corporal Desmond Doss served as a combat medic, refusing to kill an enemy soldier or carry a weapon into combat due to his personal beliefs in nonviolence." _The Hosts answered.

That stunned the entire audience.

"Whoa." Was all Neptune could say.

"Seriously?" Vernal responded with a deadpan expression.

"_Yes."_

Raven scoffed. "He certainly won't be living long."

"_Despite all odds, Corporal Desmond Doss survived the war and lived till the age of 86." _The Hosts counteracted, earning some whistles from the audience.

"Impressive," Ozpin said in awe.

"I'll say." Maria straightens up. "I'd like to see any of you guys try to survive a war like this without killing anyone, much less carry a weapon for self-defense!"

**A soldier glanced at Desmond before resume firing from his entrenched position.**

"**Medic. Help… Help!" Ahead of them, a wounded soldier laid on his back glancing around for aid.**

**Desmond was not going to leave that soldier there.**

"He's going to rescue the guy, isn't he?" Blake asked no one in particular. After hearing Desmond's background, it was pretty obvious.

Yang nodded. "Yup."

"**I figure if we can't see them, then they can't see us neither!"**

"**Help…!"**

**Desmond breathed in and out before bravely going over cover for the wounded man.**

**His allies looked at him with disbelief before one of them, looking vivid, set his jaws, and also jumped over cover.**

"They're compromising their position and cover." Ironwood pointed out.

"Live wild, and maybe die young." Qrow leaned forth a bit, "This guy is pretty lucky to live to the age of 86 in this nightmare. Even if he is suicidal."

"The General is taking into account the soldiers who might follow him." Winter retorted. "One careless move can endanger the entire team."

"That's enough you two." Glynda eyed the two bickering adults.

**His two companions' mouth fell slightly agape as they looked at each other, wondering if the world has suddenly gotten even madder than it already is.**

**The ground exploded in a fiery orange burst, nearly nicking Desmond. However, it would take more than a near miss to deter the man from reaching his destination. Weaving through the battlefield, Desmond finally approached the wounded soldier, who just so happen to be near a dense fog of pale mist.**

"He made it." Jaune looked relief at that.

"But can he get his friend to safety?" Ren questioned, looking tense.

**Inside the mist, a squad of Japanese soldiers slowly made their way through the area…**

"Oh no." Oscar gulped.

Penny furrowed her brows, "Enemies inbound."

"And he has no weapons." Coco bluntly stated, "Let's hope his teammates are there to back him up."

"**I got you, Frank! Where you hit?" Desmond asked, before glancing up warily towards the pale mist.**

**The Japanese kill squad caught sight of Desmond and raised their rifles at him.**

**In the nick of time, the soldier who followed Desmond finally caught up with the corporal and unloaded a hail of bullets into their enemies, killing them. His two companions joined in, along with a contingent of American soldiers.**

**The small Japanese kill squad was quickly dispatched, but the fighting intensified as their enemies became aware of their position.**

"Looks like they're using this moment to push forward," Ironwood said as his eyes scanned over the advancing contingent of soldiers.

"So they are." Professor Port nodded; his expression was neutral at best.

"**I think they can see us, smart ass!" The soldier snapped at Desmond but continued to provide covering fire for the medic.**

Vernal barked a short laugh, "Not anymore."

"**Doss, come on, come on!" One of them urged, not wanting to stay out of in the open.**

"**Give me a hand here," Desmond ordered, dragging the wounded soldier name Frank away.**

"Teammate secured. I hope." Jaune weakly cheered.

Pyrrha rubbed her partner's back in support. "I'm sure they've managed to bring him to safety."

"Yeah! What Pyrrha said!" Ruby added into the positive vibe.

Emerald and Mercury rolled their eyes, having heard Ruby's optimism. "How can they be so positive and goody-goody?" Emerald whispered to the silver-haired boy. "It's so… Irritating."

"No idea." Mercury shrugged.

**The scene shifts over to Sergeant Howell jumping down into a trench that is also being utilized as a machinegun nest.**

"**Get down, sir!" Howell said, pulling one of the soldiers down.**

**It was reminiscent of World War 1, two opposing entrenched position trading bullets, and explosive shells. The Japanese had an entrenched themselves within a trench lined with sandbags and supported by solid pillboxes housing machineguns.**

**They need to break this stalemate.**

**Howell raised his hand and signaled a nearby soldier carrying a rocket launcher. The rocket launcher wielding soldier gave Howell the thumbs up and tapped his partner to follow him, repositioning in another part of the trench. Overhead, the exchange of gunfire and explosive shells ramped up as soldiers from both sides begin piling into their respective entrenched position.**

"It appears they'll try to break through their enemy's defense with explosives." Penny analyzed the rocket launcher, along with several rocket shells sticking out of their pouches. "The weaponry doesn't look much, but I'm assuming that it'll be quite powerful."

Port hummed, "Mhm. One shouldn't judge anything by appearance alone."

**It was not only an exchange of violence; it was also an exchange of life. One that will see no end, even if the battle ended here.**

"**And fire!"**

**A member of a mortar crew shouted to his partner and walkie-talkie. They covered their heads and helmets with their hand as the mortar fired, landing onto their enemy's fortified positions, taking a few of them down.**

**Near the edge of the trench, the rocket launcher was prepped and ready to fire. The soldier steadily glanced up towards his target, a pillbox. He lifted his rocket launcher, took aim, and fired.**

**A large whooshing sound could be heard, followed by a devastating explosion as the pillbox was consumed by a fiery burst of flame. The blast wave rippled through the Japanese fortified position, sending nearby enemy soldiers flying. With one of their defensive positions compromised, the Japanese will have to distribute their defenses to make up any shortcoming.**

"Whoa." Sun said in shock, "That dinky thing packs a punch."

Neptune nodded and slightly shivered. "Whatever is in that rocket shell must be potent."

**Regardless of the outcome, the Japanese will not go down without a vicious fight.**

**Sergeant Howell raised his head from the trenches and aimed with his gun. But before he could fire a single shot, the remaining pillbox unleashed a hail of bullets, forcing him to duck.**

"**Down!" He yelled, but alas, his command came too late as several soldiers, including the machine gunners were shot, taking them out of commission.**

Tai bounced his legs with slight anxiety. "There goes the entire gun crew."

"That's the harsh and sudden reality of things." Raven bluntly replied.

"**Take 'em!" Another commanding officer shouted, pulling the closest soldier he could find by the shirt and pushing him towards the machinegun. "Go! Fire!"**

**The air lit up with whizzing bullets as the machineguns became operational once more. Yet, the bullets fell short of their intended targets, mostly striking the solid wall of the pillbox, or hindered by sandbags and plentiful dirt.**

**The Americans made their best attempts to break the stalemate. From lobbing grenades that fell short from the enemy trenches, to the relentless torrent of bullets shredding anyone who dares raise their heads just a bit higher from their trenches, there was no apparent end to this stalemate.**

Ironwood hissed, "They're still in a deadlock."

"And casualties are mounting for both sides." Oobleck darkly said, pushing up his glasses. "At this rate, it'll just be like their previous war. Endless stalemates with nothing to break it except numerous lives."

"History repeats itself." Ozpin sighed.

"It does." Oobleck nodded, "More than any of us would like."

"**Go, go. Go, Ghoul! Get in the hole. Stay there!" A soldier nicknamed Ghoul rushed out of the trench and safely jumped into a pit made from an explosion. Sergeant Howell peaked his sight slightly over the trenches to confirmed that Ghoul had safely made it. "Go!" He shouted over the heavy fighting. "Smitty, we'll cover you! Leapfrog!"**

**Smitty went over the tops and hastily drop towards the nearest bit while his teammates provide covering fire.**

"A daring move." Port eyes widen slightly, feeling his heart racing from the suspense.

Qrow nodded, "It's a gamble they're willing to make to end this stalemate."

**On the Japanese side, a mortar crew of three fired a mortar shell, missing Ghoul and Smitty's position by several meters.**

"That was a closed call." Yatsuhashi steadied his breath.

Coco set her jaws firmly, "Let's hope it stays like that."

"I think you kids jinxed it." Qrow murmured.

**Seeing that the smoke covered a decent portion of their vision, including their enemies, Howell ordered his men to provide covering fire for Smitty to make his next move.**

"**Cover!" They stood up from the trenches and fired, giving Smitty time to dash the crater that is situated near the pillbox.**

"**Satchel!"**

**A satchel full of explosives was thrown into the air and caught by Smitty. He then glanced over the top and lobbed it as far as he could before ducking in time to avoid a spray of bullets. It was now Ghoul's turn.**

"**Stick it, Ghoul…" Howell quietly said, watching Ghoul slowly crawl his way up the crater. "Cover! Cover!" He quickly ordered.**

Clasping his hands tightly, Ironwood stared firmly at the screen, watching how the Americans made their attempts to turn things around. "Impressive display of coordination."

"I'll say." Glynda agreed. "Even in this chaos, they're still able to innovate a method in response to their dire situation." This kind of trait is what all Huntsman Academies should be imparting on their students. At least, just enough for them to live another day… And hopefully, not for something like this.

**The entrenched Americans immediately provide fire support, killing and thinning out the Japanese defenders for Ghoul. However, their efforts would not have change Ghoul's fate as the Japanese mortar team readjusted their aim and fired once more.**

**This time, their aim landed near Ghoul, blasting the soldier back into the pit, presumably unconscious, or dead.**

Qrow cursed underneath his breath. "Unlucky."

"Damn…" Coco shared the same sentiment. "Jinxed it, didn't we?"

"Yup."

"So is the nature of war." Ozpin sighed sadly.

**Gritting his teeth, Sergeant Howell cursed at their luck. "Son of a bitch."**

**With Ghoul down, it was up to Smitty to finish the job while his fellow brothers-in-arms did the best they can to soften up the enemy's resistance. Several grenades and explosives were launched and thrown, hitting their mark. Explosions pocketed the Japanese fortified position, temporarily disorganizing them.**

**Hearing the lack of gunfire, Smitty quickly jumped out from cover and slid down the crater where Ghoul laid bleeding. Smitty tapped Ghoul on the chest to see if there was any response, but there was none.**

"Good use of situation awareness and cover." Winter somberly praised.

"The burden must be heavy on him." Weiss quietly said, "If he can't complete his task…"

"This horrible stalemate will drag on." Ironwood grimly finished Weiss's sentence.

"**Medic! Medic! Help me!" Came the distance cries of injured soldiers.**

**Pushing the noises out of his mind, Smitty took off his helmet to provide better vision as he will be making a daring move. Despite being close, the enemies in the pillbox did not spot Smitty as they dare not raise their heads over the gun ports or risk having a bullet place into their brains.**

**Smitty crawled out of the pit and made his way towards the pillbox with a satchel in hand. Meanwhile, his allies continued to provide fire support to keep the Japanese distracted. The American machinegun crew redirected their fire towards the enemies on Smitty's left, killing them while forcing the survivors to duck down.**

Nobody said anything. Their attention was focused on the scene to be able to form any cohesive words, much less a sentence.

**Laying sideways, Smitty started the countdown on the explosive-filled satchel. Gray smoke hissed out of the corner of the satchel. With careful aim, he lobbed the satchel through the pillbox gun port and into a pile of munitions before hastily clawing his way back down into the crater.**

"Bye, bye." Neo's sign read.

**Shouts of surprise came from the pillbox coupled with a burst of gunfire before a massive explosion took out the fortified structure. Thick black smoke and solid concrete rain down from the skies, peppering the Japanese defenders with debris.**

"Boom…" Nora quietly mimicked the explosion.

Ozpin calmly took a sip from his mug and lowered it with a dark expression. He had seen something like this before several times throughout his multiple incarnations. Bloody conflicts between people instead of the Creatures of Grimm…

"I believe this battle is about to become more gruesome…"

"Sir?" Glynda glanced worryingly at her employer.

Ozpin's statement hit General Ironwood in the guts as he came to the same realization. "I think he's right."

**With the enemy's defenses down and disorientated, the Americans needed to advance. Now.**

**Taking this opportunity, Sergeant Howell let out a single command. "GO!"**

**The air was filled with numerous, piercing battlecry as the Americans charged towards the decimated Japanese trenches. It will be a brutal clash.**

**Neither the Japanese nor the Americans will back down.**

Tai glanced at his daughters. "Yang…"

Already Yang had instinctively pulled Ruby's hood gently over her head, understanding that the next scene will be a horrible more sight than what was already shown. Even Weiss dropped a hand over Oscar's eyes to shield him from what was about to come next.

Brutal, up-close fighting.

**Faced with the sudden surge of American troops, the Japanese redoubled their efforts to holdout, unleashing a series of bombardments upon the Americans while their allies remained firm in their trenches.**

**Leading part of the charge, Howell kept his gun steady despite running, making a small pathway for his fellow soldiers to rush through. But amid the chaos, an artillery shell exploded onto of his group, dampening their charge.**

Qrow took a deep breath as he watched the sergeant narrowly avoided death. "Lucky bastard."

"Being alive is both a blessing and a curse." Ozpin philosophically replied.

"That's a sentence I can agree and live with."

**Even with the Americans beginning to overwhelm the Japanese, the bloodiest part of the battle, one of many to come, has just begun. The sound of gunfire intensified and died as both sides begin to engage in close-quarter combat, signaling the next stage in this bloody battle. American soldiers leaped down into Japanese trenches, standing on ledges, firing off all their rounds before ditching their guns for melee weapons.**

**One of them even threw his gun at a Japanese soldier before tackling him into the trenches.**

**It quickly evolved into a tangled, bloody brawl as every combatant met one another, bashing, stabbing, and clawing at their enemies with untold viciousness.**

"Oh… Sweet Oum's…" Pyrrha turned her head slightly away from the brutal fighting.

"There's hatred in some of their eyes." Cinder said. Her face was like a mask that speaks of control and confidence. "A fanatical hatred."

Ozpin nodded, "And it is this hatred that fuels them through this horrid conflict."

_Just like the White Fang now. _Blake paled greatly at the thought of the White Fang becoming much more fanatically violent than they already are.

**The Americans poured through the Japanese position, overrunning them while squads of soldiers cleared out Japanese entrenchments with explosives and flamethrowers all while their allies continued the brutal ritual of war.**

**An American and Japanese soldier wrestled with one another before the former took out his knife and raised it over his head while his opponent grabbed his arm to prevent the knife from descending. Not far from the fight, a Japanese soldier came charging through the fields and impaled an American soldier with his bayonet. The scene then returns to the American soldier relentlessly stabbing the Japanese soldier before getting tackled by another Japanese soldier who begins to strangle him.**

**Rushing by, Sergeant Howell raised his rifle he found and shot the Japanese soldier in the back, giving his comrade time to throw his opponent off of him before finishing the enemy off with a knife in the gut.**

"Urk…" Jaune choked on his salvia as he watched the grisly fighting continue, and on.

"It's… Like a huge bar brawl." Yang croaked.

Qrow nodded, "A bloody one with no rule but death."

"This is awful…" Glynda shook her head with sorrow.

**With their position overrun, a Japanese soldier lit his grenade with a rock and frantically glance around, before getting struck square in the face by the butt of a rifle from Sergeant Howell. The sudden attack stunned the Japanese soldier causing him to drop the grenade on the ground. Acting quickly, Howell pushed his opponent into the ground on top of the grenade and held him down.**

"Aiiiie…" Sun turned his head away, knowing what comes next. Several other students followed suit, not wanting to see such a gruesome end for the Japanese soldier.

**BOOM!**

**A muffled explosion kicked up dirt and bloody mist, sending Sergeant Howell sprawling back into the dirt mound. He let out a grunt as he struck the ground, looking aimlessly at the sky while breathing heavily, ears ringing.**

"Exhaustion kicking in."

Qrow took a long drink out of his flask, "I would be exhausted if I were in his shoe. Dead tired."

**Howell glanced around to see the progression of the battle, watching the enemy retreat, or gunned down.**

**A Japanese soldier staggered out from a destroyed pillbox and was quickly shot multiple times.**

"**Go, go, go!" A grenade was tossed into the pillbox, followed by a stream of liquid flames filling the area with blazing flames, accompanied by agonizing shrieks of Japanese soldiers as they came flailing out from their covers.**

**The scene slowly darkens with the flamethrower operator letting out a vengeful cry for his fallen comrades.**

"_We'll put an end to this viewing here." _The Hosts said, _"Let's move on to something less distressing."_

"Yes, please." Coco let out a sigh of relief.

Blake rubbed her arms softly while her cat ears twitched here and there. "I have no words to describe how horrible that was."

Jaune nodded, "Yeah… It felt like we were watching that forever."

"So, what will we be watching next?" Emerald asked.

"_Something we find slightly amusing…"_

Everyone raised an eyebrow at that. It was a bit of a surprise for their Hosts to say that, considering how… Detached the Hosts are from them. Heck, they don't even know what they look like.

Nora slapped her hand down on her armrest, startling her teammates. "Well, I'm done for anything that isn't what we just saw." She eyed her teammates and friends. "What about you guys?"

"Same."

"Yup."

"I'm on the same boat with her."

"_We shall be proceeding shortly."_

* * *

**NEXT: ****Welcome to Demon School! Iruma-kun - Sabbath**

**Replaced ****Dream Date with Sabbath to keep it chronological although I already messed up chronologically in one of my chapters already.**

**SPOILERS for those who don't read the manga! You might want to veer away from this chapter if you don't wish to be spoiled.**

* * *

**Pardon my grammar.**


	27. Mairimashita! Iruma-kun - Sabbath

**Spoilers if you don't read the manga**

**Switched the chapter, Dream Date, out with Sabbath for chronological sake. Will get back to it later.**

* * *

**I don't own anything. All characters belong to their respective owners (except the Hosts).**

**Pardon my grammar.**

* * *

**Welcome to Demon School! Iruma-kun - Sabbath (Manga Chapter 90)**

* * *

Blake stood up and stretched from her seat, shaking off her tensed muscles. "Augh. I tried to squeeze myself into my seat when those soldiers started charging towards each other."

The cat faunus had seen many things. The cruel treatment and discrimination of the faunus will forever leave mental scars that will carry on for years to come. But the amount of violence the people of Earth were willing to inflict against each… It was an entirely different level. So much so that she tried to shrink away from it to the best that she can, thus causing her slight muscle cramps throughout her body.

"You certainly know how to make things gloomy, reminding us of that." Yang sighed, "At least it's over."

"We'll probably see something just as worse further down the line," Blake grumbled.

Her partner snorted, "Someone is having a hissy fit. When did you become more cynical?"

"Okay. That's enough." Weiss pinched her forehead, "Let's just take a deep breath and relax. I'm certain we're all high strung after witnessing all of that."

"Yeah!" Ruby pumped her fist and raised a hand for a high-five from Weiss, which never came. "Aw…"

"I wonder what we'll be watching." Neptune mused.

Coco tilted her head at him, "That's always the question of the day here. If time works properly in here."

"_The viewing is about to start." _The Hosts alerted them, _"This reality takes place in the demon realm. We shall provide more details when we deemed it necessary."_

"Is this the same one from the Dark Tournament thing?" Mercury asked.

"_The world you all will be watching will not be from that same reality. This world is much more peaceful compared to what you had referred to."_

"That's a relief," Jaune mumbled.

The room darkened as the screen flickered to life, starting the next viewing.

**The scene immediately opens up to a cute demon girl with black horns and unusual four clover-like pupils cheerfully talking on her cellphone.**

"**Right!" She chirped, holding up a finger in the air. "The next Sabbath!" She was talking to Shax Reid, a demon boy with blondish hair and antennal-like horns. "There will be four of us, so… Can you gather four people?"**

"Looks like demons are a sentient humanoid race, similar that to the faunus." Blake said with interest, "With extra sets of appendixes." Aside from that, it was blatantly obvious they these demons were just ordinary teenagers.

"Sabbath?" Oobleck raised an eyebrow, "As in, a day of religious observance and abstinence? Or the superstitious, supposed annual midnight meeting of terrifying creatures… Ah. Demons. They're demons. I see. I see." The doctor chuckled at that. "That's very fitting."

"**No problem!" Reid made an 'OK' gesture.**

"**Bring someone cool, okay?"**

"**Leave it to me." They ended the call, with Shax grinning darkly.**

**_A Mixer! The meeting of fellow demons! Nowadays it's become an established way of meeting with the opposite sex – In other words… Sabbath!_**

"So, they call a mixer a Sabbath?" Coco scratched her head, "It does sound kinda cool."

"It would seem so, Miss Adel." Oobleck nodded, "If only I would know more of their culture and history… I believe it would be unbelievably fascinating."

"Anything related to history would fascinate you, Barty." Port chuckled.

"And anything within the confines of a great hunt would have your undivided attention."

"Ha! Why wouldn't it?"

**Standing outside of their Sabbath meeting place is an assembly of the Abnormal Class Demons (and one human) of Babyls Demon School; Shax Reid, Sabnock Sabro, Andro Jazz, and lastly… Suzuki Iruma!**

"**Let's go, guys!"**

"**Yeah!" Everyone cheered, though only Iruma seemed to be the only one that does not know what is happening.**

"Aw! He's so tiny compared to the rest of them…" Yang cooed, "And he has that same confused and innocent look just like you Ruby."

Ruby looked embarrassed and offended by that. Mostly embarrassed. "What?! I do not!"

"Got a picture, firecracker?" Tai called out to his eldest daughter with a wide grin.

"Yup!"

"No!"

"He does look a bit out of place." Pyrrha frowned, can't exactly figure why she singled Iruma out. It's possibly due to his size, or meek appearance that sets him apart from the rest of the current demons on screen.

"_Suzuki Iruma or Iruma Suzuki is a human whereas all of his companions are demons." _That got a few Oh's out of the audience.

**But before this sudden time skip; Reid had to assemble his friends and proclaim is reasons (his rant, so to speak), for this sudden organizing of a Sabbath. Standing on a wide dirt road, Reid was ranting on about how their school and break was dreadfully boring and painful.**

"**We didn't have much fun at school until now!" Reid complained to them a few minutes ago. "Our semester break can't end without us having some fun with girls!"**

"**But we've been to the amusement park with Amelie-san, Clara, and…" Granted, their amusement park trip was ruined by an infamous criminal group, but Iruma did have a point. Somewhat.**

**Nevertheless, Reid disagreed with Iruma's point. They were stuck with their horrible homeroom teacher and had to fight against a giant monster after all.**

"**We were fighting the whole time! Our memories of that place are dark!" Reid protested with Jazz nodding in agreement.**

Raven raised an eyebrow, "What kind of amusement park did they go too?"

"I don't know, but it sounds like fun!" Nora cracked her knuckles. "Do we have amusement parks in Vale?"

"Yes, Nora. We do." Ren replied, "Plenty is going up with the Vytal Festival coming up soon."

"**We barely talked!" Jazz added in.**

Emerald snorted, "Sounds like they weren't amused at the amusement park."

"He's got to be exaggerating." Coco looked uncertain. She knows she can't make assumptions and knows better since she has a faunus on her team, but do demons share the same entertainment as them? "The amusement park can't have been that bad, right?"

"_The amusement park they visited was suddenly under attacked by a terrorist group that unleashed enormous demonic beasts upon the park." _The Hosts explained, causing several audiences to do a doubletake. _"The demonic beasts were stopped by the combined forces of Iruma, his friends, family, and teacher, though we great difficulties."_

"You're joking," Qrow said with a deadpan expression.

"_We may show you the incident at a later time."_

"No, that… Won't be necessary." He rubbed his neck, "And I thought I had the worst luck."

**Reid levitated up into the air with his legs crossed. "It's important for our school life that we hang out with cute girls!" He shakily gestured at the skies with a torturous expression fused with determination. "We're going to make our days brighter!"**

**Everyone stared at the floating Reid with an expression of doubt, uncertainty, and confusion. Iruma, on the other hand, seemed to be swept up by Reid's short rant/speech and decided to go along with them, not understanding what the blond demon boy meant.**

"**After all, there are fewer demon girls than boys." Said Jazz, "Getting closer with the girls from other classes is not a bad idea."**

'**_Does he mean networking?'_ Iruma thought to himself, looking clueless.**

"I mean, he's not wrong." Said Velvet. Social gathering often leads to networking if things go well.

"How old is he anyway? He looks younger than the rest."

"_He is 14 years old."_ The Hosts answered Weiss's question.

Coco jerked a thumb at Oscar, "Similar to the farm boy's age, huh?"

"He is rather relatable so far," Oscar muttered to himself. Him, a simple farmhand finds himself roped into a magical theater hosted by almighty beings with most of the guests being huntsmen and huntresses. Such a thing is definitely confusing.

**Sabnock cupped his chin thoughtfully, while balancing his large, muscularly frame on his tail. "It is important to know your subjects… But why this lineup?"**

"**Asmodeus would just steal all the girls." Reid bluntly said, cutting back to a pretty boy demon with pink hair and sharp eyes. The sparkling aura and handsome appearance would certainly undermine their Sabbath.**

Coco let out a woof whistle, "Hello there, pretty boy."

"You're whistling because you like his fancy uniform." Fox bluntly said, knowing his partner is digging the uniform Asmodeus is wearing.

"Don't be jealous. Besides, the face –"

"Is a bonus. I know."

"**And Caim is out of the question." The owl-like demon is a huge pervert, which will kill the event.**

Blake eyed widen in surprise. "Huh… It looks like demons are a lot more diverse in appearance than we would have thought."

"Looks like an andromorphic owl." Stated Neptune.

"Who appears to be a pervert," Weiss said with disgust.

**As for the rest… They don't appear to be interested in hanging out with girls. Especially Agares who is constantly napping on his cloud. And Goemon… Well, he was forgettable.**

"**Sabro is a bit risky too, but we'll have to take our chances here." Reid softly coughed. He can't help but gamble. It's just who he is.**

"**Your gambling habit is showing…" Jazz worryingly pointed out.**

Glynda narrowed her eyes. "Gambling addictions should be addressed."

"He's gambling their social status, huh?" Sun scratched his head, "If it fails, they'll be a laughingstock or outcasts. If it pays off, they'll be popular?"

"Just like gambling with money." Roman nodded.

**Reid brushed Jazz's remark aside and brought everyone together in a huddle. "Anyway! Time to say goodbye to our dull school life!"**

"**_It's battle time!"_**

**The scene instantly cuts to four boys, and four girls sitting across each other within the Tea-House Devix establishment.**

"**I'm Haruno!" The demon girl who scheduled the Sabbath with Reid earlier introduced herself.**

"**Azuki…" Said a shy demon girl with long, straight black hair.**

"**Konatsu here~!" An energetic girl with blond hair greeted them with a victory sign.**

**Last, and least… There was an odd-looking demon with an elongated body deprived of any other features except a single eye. "And I am Dosanko."**

"What on Remnant is that thing?" Vernal recoiled at Dosanko's appearance.

"It's a demon." Blake flatly responded.

"Whoa, you were right about the diverse appearance stuff, Blakey."

Blake hissed, elbowing Yang in the ribs. "Don't call me that."

**The Sabbath was off to a great start with a mood being soft and flowery.**

"**Nice to meet you!" Reid greeted them.**

**He silently eyed his fellow bros (excluding Iruma) with a serious expression, who silently returned it with a nod, accompanied by a flashback to Reid's plan and restriction that would enhance their experience of the Sabbath.**

Tai chuckled, "They might be taking this a bit too seriously…"

"Says the guy who went overboard on our series of date." Scoffed Raven, remembering fonder times.

"**Listen carefully! To make sure the girls don't get scared off…" Reid pointed at Sabnock, startling the giant demon. "Sabro! No 'Demon King' talk!"**

"**Wha-?!" Such restrictions should be considered blasphemous…**

"**Jazz, no pickpocketing!" He snapped at his dark-haired friend. In response, the pickpocketing demon looked at him in shock. "Don't give me that surprised face! No means no!"**

Emerald smirked, "I like this Jazz guy already."

"Guess he already stole your heart." Mercury jeered, earning him a glare from the dark-skinned girl.

"Someone's in the right profession." Roman grinned approvingly.

"I would say otherwise." Glynda hissed.

**Reid turned to Iruma, suddenly losing all of his intensity. "Iruma, you can just be yourself. The Cinnamon Roll Iruma"**

**Iruma in question didn't know what was happening but nervously nodded. "Uh, okay!"**

Ren smiled with amusement, "He must really be confused."

"**Sabbath is all about teamwork," Reid said cheerfully, before cutting back to the present with a contradicting internal statement.**

'**_No! Sabbath is a war!'_ He thought to himself with a troubled expression. _'Sorry guys. But I have a plan!'_ He sipped nervously from his drink. _'And the plan is…'_ A scene from his fantasy manifest itself; two girls sitting on Reid's side, giggling while Reid looked like a successful playboy. _'To stand out while the others are keeping quiet and get the girls to myself!_' Reid clenched his hand. _'I'll be the star today!'_**

"That's low, kid." Qrow rested his head on one of his fists. "Betraying your teammates like that."

Sun and Neptune nodded. "Not a bro."

"How despicable." Winter monotonously added in her thought to Reid's 'betrayal'.

**While Reid was internally monologuing, the girls were getting acquainted themselves with the boys, excluding Reid.**

"**Hey, hey~!" Konatsu chirped for Sabnock's attention. "Sabro-kun. You're so tall!"**

"**Just like the demon king!" Dosanko added.**

"**De…!" Sabnock quickly caught himself from making a pleasant outburst and instead, opt for a small, chill smile with a low-key response. "I see…"**

**The girls' heart jumped.**

"**So manly!"**

"**So cool!"**

'**EEEEH?!' Reid was caught completely off guard by their response. 'An unexpectedly good reception!'**

"Hey, the big guy didn't scare them away." Coco laughed Reid's reaction to the backfiring of his schemes. "That guy is bigger than you, Yats."

"And more muscular too." Yatsuhashi grudging admits.

**On the other end, Haruno was casually chatting with Iruma.**

"**I've seen it on the news! Is it alright for you to be here?" She asked him, "You defeated the demonic beasts, right?"**

"How massive were those 'demonic beasts'?" Port asked the Hosts.

"_Larger than most of what any of you had ever fought. They also possess great powers, having been breed with demonic magic."_

"And he helped defeat them?" Cinder inquired.

"_Iruma played an extremely crucial role in ending the demonic beasts' threat and ensured the safety of civilians."_

"Impressive."

"Quite so." Ozpin nodded.

**Iruma shyly nodded at both of her questions. "It'll be harder for reporters to find us if we're not home. Opera-san said so."**

An exasperated sigh escaped from Pyrrha's lips, "Tell me about it."

"**You're so small, but you're amazing Iruma-kun! Even your hands are small! So cute!" She gushed, placing their palms together to measure his hand. They were smaller than hers.**

"**B-but, I think girls' hands… Are cuter and prettier." He said with an adorable smile, fluttering their hearts.**

**Haruno couldn't resist and rub Iruma's head like a little puppy. "Cute, cute…"**

"He certainly knows how to slay a girl's heart," Maria smirked.

"I believe the appropriate word for him is, adorable." Said Penny, cheerfully.

'**This is… Iruma being himself…?' Reid sweated and trembled. He was being outclassed by everyone here… Is Jazz in the same spot as him? 'This is bad, Jazz!'**

**He turned towards the dark-haired demon, showing off a trick with several large coins nested between his fingers.**

Roman tapped his armrest thoughtfully, "I wonder how much those would cost in the black market."

**In with swift motion, he made a grabbing motion with his hand and opened it revealing an empty his hand was now empty. "And it's gone."**

"Nice trick," Praised Emerald.

"He certainly has the sleight of hands," Roman said approvingly.

"But where did all the coins go?" Ruby swayed her head around to see if she could somehow spot the coins hidden somewhere.

"Who knows?"

"**Woooow!" The girls clapped, eyes sparkling with wonder. "Amazing! How did you do that?"**

"**A secret." Jazz coolly replied. 'I get restless when I don't move my hands…'**

**Now Reid was panicking. 'At this rate, I'm going to be left alone!' Racking his brain, he tried to think of anything that could draw their favorable attention. 'No, no, no, no! I have to do something!"**

Sun held back his laughter at Reid's predicament. "That moment when you accidentally ostracize yourself…"

"He brought it upon himself." Neptune grinned.

**Utilizing his bloodline ability, Controller, he stole Haruno's taste bud as she chomped down on her food.**

"**Huh? I can't taste it!" She exclaimed.**

"**It's my ability!" Reid hastily explained, "I stole your sense of taste! Interesting, right?"**

**Their response was fairly flat compared to what the other boys received.**

"**So funny~"**

"**Interesting."**

"**More juice, please!"**

'**HUUUH?!' He internally screamed. "I expected slightly different reactions…" His voice was weak enough for them not to hear his query. 'Where are the sparkling hearts…?'**

"What is this ability of his?" Ozpin asked the Hosts.

"_All demons have a bloodline ability. Think of it as a semblance that is passed heretically throughout one's descendants."_

"Just like our glyphs." Winter mused.

"_Correct. Reid's bloodline ability is called Controller, allowing him to steal a person's basic senses such as sight, taste, or hearing."_

"I can easily imagine a semblance doing just that," Glynda said to herself.

"How interesting."

**The girls got up from their seats. "Ah, excuse us for a sec."**

"**Gotta powder our noses~" Konatsu lied.**

**Reid slouched on the table with a gloomy aura as he watched them walk away from their table. Iruma walked over to his friend, trying to find a way to comfort him.**

"**A-are you alright Reid-kun?"**

"He's lucky to have Iruma as a friend." Coco took some pleasure at Reid's suffering, seeing how much of a backstabber he is.

"No, I think the kid's way too nice for his own good." Said Qrow.

"There's nothing wrong with being too nice." Ruby proudly remarked, puffing her chest out.

"That goes for you too, squirt."

"I'm careful enough."

Yang shook her head, "Only with Crescent Rose and your cookies…"

**Jazz unintentionally twisted the knife a bit with a careless remark. "We're getting along with the girls."**

"**No! It's too early to celebrate!" Reid firmly declared, "While they're away, they have their 'mini-Sabbath' and are talking about us!" He explained to them. "We need to hear what they are really thinking!"**

**Iruma looked lost, "Hear…?"**

Winter looked at Reid disapprovingly. "He's going to eavesdrop on them?"

"Not cool, dude." Neptune shook his head before looking at Sun, recalling how they got dragged into Team RWBY's White Fang investigation that leads to them fighting a giant military mech.

Sun looked away. "Eheh…"

'**_I'll steal a nearby customer's hearing and listen to their conversation!' _Activating his ability, Reid stole temporarily stole the hearing sense from a male demon, who looked confused by the sudden loss of hearing.**

"That's a useful semblance… Ability, I mean." Cinder said under her breath.

"Wished I still had mine." Mercury scowled, cursing his dead father for stealing his.

**The audio picked up for Reid as he zoomed in on the girl's conversation.**

"**So… Which one do you like?!" They asked each other.**

**Konatsu went first, "I like Sabnock-kun! He looks strong!"**

"**I think… Jazz-kun." The dark-haired girl named Azuki shyly poked her two fingers together. "Those bad boys vibe… So cool."**

"**I like Iruma-kun!" Gushed Haruno, "He's adorable! And being the principal's grandson is a big plus."**

**Back to Reid… The demon boy was not taking it well, angrily grinding his teeth and glaring at his 'traitorous' friends.**

"Ha! That's what you get." Maria guffawed.

Winter had a rather smug and amused expression on her face. "He doesn't have the right to be angry."

"Hoho. Reminds me of my youth." Said Port, making nearby students gag.

**Sabnock raised an eyebrow, "What's up?"**

"**He's glaring…" Jazz said with concern.**

**However, the next sentence caught Reid's attention. "But I like Reid-kun."**

**The boy in question instantly brighten up and placed both hands on his pointed ears to get a better hearing of who it was. _'Here it is!'_**

Tai barked a laughter, "No question about it. Whoever this is won't be appealing to him."

"You've been watching way too many romantic comedies, Tai," Qrow said with a concerned expression.

**It was none other than Dosanko. "That 'Controller' thing was quite amusing."**

'**_WHY THAT ONE?!'_ Reid bend his body back in frustration and agony, only able to stay standing for a while due to his tail and the ability to levitate. _'Of all people…'_**

"Called it!" Tai chortled.

Yang placed a hand over her face. "Don't embarrass us, dad…"

Her mother also shared a similar sentiment. "Damn it, Tai. Pipe down."

"**I would let him steal my sense of smell." The odd-looking demon girl continued.**

'**_Where do you even have a nose?! ARRRGH!'_ He collapsed on the floor, looking very wounded.**

"Does she even have a nose?" Penny tilted her head in confusion, trying to analyze the strange-looking demon girl. "I cannot tell."

Ruby shrugged, "Me neither."

**Iruma quickly kneeled near him and was determining whether or not his friend needed help getting up. "Reid-kun, are you okay?"**

"**It wasn't supposed to be like this…" Reid uttered with his 'dying breath'.**

Yang nodded while grinning, "It backfired spectacularly on you."

**The girls returned to the table not soon afterward. "Sorry for the wait!"**

"**Alright, let's continue!" They toasted with their glass with a clink. "Cheers!"**

"_We'll speed up this viewing a bit. To prevent our guests from becoming fatigued with this viewing."_

"Gods, yes." Vernal gave her thanks, already feeling bored with the viewing.

**The next scene was practically a montage. Dosanko decided to switch seats to sit next to Reid while the others ordered a large desert. An extremely large and colorful frosty treat that looked like ice cream mixed with strange fruits, a variety of pastry… And something that with numerous eyes and multiple legs all mixed into the desert.**

"That's food?!" Coco yelped in shock. "Is that even editable?!"

"_It is very much editable."_

"With a multiple eyed and legged thing in the mix?" Blake leaned back into her seat.

"Iruma looks like he's looking forward to the consumption of their ordered meal." Penny pointed out, "Perhaps it's also editable for humans and faunus as well."

**Jazz took a photo of the desert along with the group posing alongside the large desert. Among them, Iruma looked ready to dig into the giant frozen treat with his spoon and knife.**

"Yeah… Still. No, thanks."

**The scene progresses to them playing 'Demon King' where the person who pulled out the stick proclaiming them king is allowed to command others to do one thing. In the background, poor Reid was being force-fed by Dosanko, stuffing his mouth with the desert they've ordered. As the game progresses, it was Dosanko who became 'Demon King' causing Reid to flee for his life.**

"**Ahhhh!"**

"**The Demon King's orders are absolute! Kiss me!" She said while sprinting after him.**

**He frantically picked up the pace. "Ahhhh!"**

"Run for it!" Mercury hollered at the screen.

Emerald snorted, "He won't make it."

"Oh, rest in peace."

**By the time the Sabbath was finished, it was near dusk.**

"**We had so much fun!" Haruno and her friends happily waved the boys goodbye. "Let's hang out again!"**

**Everyone sent off their farewells, except Reid, who looked battered and exhausted. _'It's over…' _He mentally sighed a relief before breaking down. _'It was punishment for being greedy...'_**

"Now I feel bad for the guy," Roman said sympathetically. "He looks like he's been through literal hell."

Qrow nodded in agreement, "He certainly been put through the wringer."

"It's ironic since he's a demon." Read Neo's sign.

**He stopped grieving when he saw Iruma's held out his hand for him.**

"**Thank you for today, Reid-kun," Iruma said with a pure, innocent smile.**

**Reid looked stunned, "Thank…?"**

"**You wanted us to have fun, right?" Said Jazz.**

"**We had a great time!" Iruma chimed.**

**Even Sabnock nodded in agreement. "The girls were happy too. Good job."**

"**Eh? Eh?" Reid kept turning his head back and forth, staring eyes wide at his friends.**

"Looks like he got off lightly." Qrow scoffed and smiled, "Good thing they didn't know that this entire thing was meant for him instead of them."

"That's what friends are for." Nora wrapped her arms around her entire team and pulled them close.

"Gah! Nora! Can't… Breath…!" Jaune gasped.

**Jazz looked amused at Reid's expression. "Next time I'll introduce you to some beautiful upperclassman. I think older girls will like you."**

"**Anyway, thank you for arranging this!"**

**Reid started to tear up and jumped into Iruma's arm despite their size difference. _'BEST TEAM!'_**

Vernal gagged, "How touching. I think I have diabetes now."

"Don't kill the mood, girl." Yang shot back.

"**I'm so sorry!" Reid confessed, leaving much out of context.**

"**For what?!" Iruma yelped.**

**Jazz snorted and took out his phone, going over the pictures.**

"**Hm? A picture?" Sabnock asked upon glancing over the demon's shoulder.**

"**It's the one we took before. I sent one to you."**

**The giant demon smirked, "Alright, let's share it."**

"**Eh?" Jazz turned to Sabnock, looking baffled.**

"… His expression tells me that's a bad idea. For some reason." Tai scratched his stubbled beard.

Qrow crossed his arms, "Guess we're about to find out soon."

"**I learned how to do it…" He uploaded the image into the group folder, sharing it with everyone within their group, and by extension, their entire class.**

**_DING!_**

"**_Dinner with girls"_ Read the caption of the photo. It was the one taken with the group surrounding the gigantic desert.**

**Immediately, their notifications went off like a hurricane.**

"Oh boy…" Jaune winced, "The storm of texts."

"Something I need to know, Jaune?" Pyrrha raised an eyebrow at her team leader and partner.

"Just some past experiences with my family, especially with a large one like mine."

"**DEETS!" Caim instantly replied. To think there was that much hatred in those four words.**

"**IRUMA-SAMA!" The pretty demon boy, Asmodeus's 'sounded' frantic in the comment section. "Where are you?!"**

"**Iruma-chi, not fair! I wanna go too!" Was Clara's angry reply.**

**Goemon also voiced his displeasure at being left out of the Sabbath. "Curse you! Curse you!"**

"**IRUMA… WE NEED TO TALK." The heavily toned comment came from the Student Council President, Amelie Azazel, who has a crush on Iruma.**

"Someone sure is popular," Coco said, surprised by how many people were tethered to the meek-looking boy that is Iruma. "I'm beginning to see why Jazz guy looked scared."

**Iruma visibly looked scared at the comments directed at him, while everyone else, minus Sabnock who looked clueless, had a horrified and nervous expression at the backlash and consequences they were going to receive when they get back to class.**

"**Aaaaaaa!" Reid let out one last cry as the camera pans up to the beautiful orange skies.**

**Their notifications would be going off for another hour…**

"That was kinda amusing." Mercury placed his leg on the footrest of his seat. "A shame they didn't get off scot-free."

"And refreshing after all those unpleasant viewings." Added Weiss.

"_Indeed. We are pleased to hear that. Now then, it is time for us to add in more guests."_

"Oh?" Ironwood sat up straighter, "And who will be joining us soon?"

"_Dr. Pietro Polendina, the Ace-Ops, and Robyn Hill's will be joining you shortly."_

Penny gasped and jumped up from her seat, "Father will be here?!"

"The Ace Operatives?" Ironwood looked stunned, quickly processing the information. "Along with Robyn Hill?"

_More of Ozpin and his allies. _Cinder silently thought to herself. _This might prove to be a good opportunity to gather more information on Ozpin's pawn._

"How convenient." Maria smiled upon hearing that Pietro will be joining them. "Now I don't have to get through Cordovin to have my eyes repaired."

"_Our guests have arrived."_

In a blink of an eye, Dr. Pietro Polendina appeared with his mechanical robotic walking contraption, along with the entire Ace-Ops; Clover Ebi, Harriet Bree, Vine Zeki, Elm Ederne, and Marrow Amin. Not far from the Ace-Ops is Robyn Hill, unfortunately, separated from her band of Happy Huntresses.

"Oh my! W-where am I?" Pietro looked around with eyes as wide as they were physically capable of. "Oh. Pardon me." The kind doctor and scientist corrected himself when he saw the Ace-Ops and Happy Huntresses. "Where are we?"

The professional huntsmen and huntresses immediately got into a defensive stance but faltered when they saw a mass of mostly teenagers sitting in comfy theater chairs. Huntsmen and huntresses-in-training from the looks of it.

Robyn shuffled slightly away from the Ace-Ops, arms raised defensively, "I would like to know that as well."

"And how." Clover appended a question of his own. He quickly spotted a giant man in a familiar white military dress suit, standing up from his chair. "General Ironwood?"

"Special Operative Ebi." Ironwood greeted the Ace-Ops leader, "Bree, Zeki, Ederne, Amin, Dr. Polendina, and… Miss Hill."

"General Ironwood, sir!" The Ace-Ops saluted.

"Oh, General Ironwood! You're here? What a surprise!"

"…" Robyn stayed silent, giving the general a steady gaze before surveying her surroundings.

"At ease." Ironwood chuckled before clearing his throat. "I would say it's nice to see you all, but even I don't know what to make of this… Odd situation."

"Where are we, sir?" Vine asked, taking in the sight of the large theater.

Ironwood was about to respond before Penny dashed past him and into the arms of Pietro. "Father! I'm so happy to see you!"

"Penny!" Pietro exclaimed with joy, "You're here too? And looking fine as well! How are you doing lately?"

The volume of the theater became exponentially louder as the newcomers constantly peppered their peers with questions. Where are they? How did they get here? Why are they here?

"_Allow us to explain." _The Hosts interjected, silencing their barrage of questions. _"But first, allow us to welcome you to our domain."_

/-/

Pietro scratched his head, "How baffling."

"This is unreal." Marrow absentmindedly staring at his steak dinner that he jokingly challenged the Hosts to conjure up. "It must be an illusion or a trick of some kind." He hesitantly picked up his silver fork and prodded delicious, warm steak. Meanwhile, the smell hit his sensitive nostril, making his stomach rumble. "Must… Be a trick."

"Trust me. I thought I was completely wasted when I first got here." Qrow chuckled at the Ace-Ops reaction. "The food and drink though. You won't be finding it anywhere on Remnant. Even in those fancy high-class restaurants."

Several seats away, Pietro and Maria were conversing with each other. Or something along those lines as the doctor appeared to have a hard time remembering who Maria is.

"Ah, yes. Yes…" Pietro adjusted his glasses and stared at Maria with a smile. There was a brief paused before he asked, "Have we met?"

Maria didn't look amused and pointed at her eye. "Cybernetic optical implants? You adjust them? Every ten years or so?"

One could hear the cogs in Pietro's brain grinding itself loose before finally recognizing Maria Calavera. "Maria! Yes, with the cybernetic optical implants! Wow, has it been that long already?"

"Ha! I know. I aged like a fine wine. Come, sit next to me. You too girl."

Pietro and Penny situated themselves with Maria, while the entire Ace-Ops had decided to sit a row ahead of their general. As for Robyn Hill, she didn't even know where to sit. Without her Happy Huntresses by her side, she was truly alone. Well, there was Clover whom she knows but their relationship is a bit sour.

"Why wasn't my team able to join?" She sighed.

"_Our apologies. They will join you when the time comes."_

"And when is that?"

"_Only time will tell." _The Hosts replied cryptically.

"Right…" Robyn refrained herself from rolling her eyes and sat not far from Professor Ozpin.

"_This next viewing might interest all parties with their various aspects. A world where dimensions clash. A world centered around a biological power source known as Trion."_

Weiss looked interested by the mentioning of an alternative power source, "That sounds interesting."

"_It will be, for all."_

"Well, then." Clover relaxed in his seat, seeing that they don't have much of a choice but to follow along. "Let's see what we'll be watching."

* * *

**NEXT: World Trigger - Aftokrator Invasion**

**The upcoming chapter has been listed in the priority section for way too long... I am so sorry about the delay on that.**

* * *

**Pardon my grammar. Feel free to point out any mistakes I might have made.**

* * *

**Sorry about that Robyn.**


	28. World Trigger - Aftokrator Invasion

**This chapter has 21,621 words...**

**Pardon my grammar on this one. It's very long.**

**I do not owe anything (except the Hosts).**

* * *

**World Trigger - Aftokrator Invasion**

* * *

_"There are many things that are taken out of context. We shall try out best to explain as the viewing goes on." _The Hosts paused for a moment, _"This world is one of many, capable of interacting with each other by opening gates. These gates allow other worlds to invade each other. People from other worlds are called Neighbors."_

Jaune scratched his head, "Because their world is neighboring to one another?"

_"In a sense. Yes."_

"And somehow all these worlds still remain standing and not burnt to the ground?" Asked Glynda.

_"It remains and society continues to achieve technological advancements."_

Ironwood rubbed his chin, "Innovation to survive. I assume."

_"That is correct. Four years ago, in a city known as Mikado City was invaded by another world. Their entire self-defense force was unable to fend off the invading Neighbors and their Trion soldiers. Robotic creatures created from Trions. This is due to Trion can only be damaged by Trion, which they have yet to discover."_

"Which means their weapons didn't do anything against the invaders." Robyn had her head rested on her hand. "That must have been devastating."

"Fighting an opponent, you can't damage… How horrifying." Cinder mused.

Penny had a thoughtful look. "Trion soldiers…"

_"From the ruins, an organization known as Border emerged and served as a protector against the invading Neighbors. We shall leave it there for now. It's best to show."_

The room darkened and the scream flickered to life.

**Resting atop of the school's rooftop, with his back leaning against the metal rails is an exhausted glasses-wearing boy named Osamu Mikumo. **

**"Ha…" He sighed and turned towards his friend white-haired friend, Yuma Kuga. "It's so tiring being surrounded by many people…" **

**Yuma swallowed his lunch, "Well, it's because you're always surrounded." **

"Not what I was expecting, but okay." Marrow made himself comfortable in his seat, having finished his 'dinner'. "Pretty normal civilians, so far."

Harriet scoffed, "You know how fast things can go from normal to worse."

**In the background, three delinquents slowly made their way out of the rooftop, not wanting to mess with a Border agent. As they left, Chika and her new friend, Izuho entered the rooftop bearing their lunch containers.**

**"Osamu." Chika greeted him.**

**"Oh, it's so freaking cold." Izuho shivered and cuddled more into her scarf and coat. **

**"Oh, Chika." Yuma greeted back. **

**"Who is she?" Osamu asked, referring to Chika's new friend.**

**"She's Izuho." She introduced, "She became a sniper with me." **

Ruby sat up straight from her seat. "She's a sniper? They're both snipers?" She looked around for any traces of weapons on them. "I don't see any."

Weiss pinched her forehead, "Not everyone openly lugs a weapon around, Ruby."

"Aww…"

"They appear to be around the age when children start attending primary combat school, like Signal Academy." Tai deduced, "I'm guessing they're a part of this Border group?"

_"That is correct. They are trainees or C-Class agents."_

**Izuho nodded, "Hello, I'm Natsume Izuho."**

**"So, you're Chika's friend?" Yuma got up from his spot and bowed, "Nice to meet you."**

**"Nice to meet you, too." She returned the bow. **

"Their names are similar in pronunciation with those from Southern Mistral," Vine said with interest.

Oobleck nodded, "I believe their name derives from a language known as Japanese in their world."

"Like Yatsuhashi's." Coco pointed at her giant teammate.

**As they enjoyed their lunch in the cold, Osamu paused and glanced over at Izuho and whispered to Yuma. "Come to think of it… Did the C-Class members receive the information on the large-scale invasion, too?"**

Blake's cat ear twitched, "Invasion?"

**"Well, you can say we did," Yuma said in between small sips from his drink. "While we C-Classes can't fight, we're authorized to use our triggers to support aid or to find shelter." According to the conditions set up by Border's top brass, Yuma was not allowed to utilize his Black Trigger unless it's an emergency, so for the time being, Yuma will be functioning as a C-Class Border Agent. "Border changed the rule because of the great efforts you furnished during the time with the Ilugard."**

**Osamu blushed at that, "Stop flattering me."**

"Sounds like they had an adventure." Said Qrow, tapping on his flask. "And a run-in with red tapes and bureaucrats."

Robyn snorted, already finding the drunk huntsman kin.

**The conversation quickly resumed its serious tone. "Kion, as well as Aftokrator will soon be leaving this world's orbit in around ten days or so." A digital diagram popped up, displaying their world, a round orb, and two rotating cubes slowly orbiting out of their world's 'zone'. "We somehow have to endure until then." **

"By worlds, did they mean celestial bodies?" Pietro raised a question to the Hosts. "Or does the term refer to something else?"

_"Our apologies for not explaining it clearly. When they refer to a world, they mean another dimension. Another world under a different planet and stars."_

"Ah. I see."

"You mean it's similar to how you guys can watch other realities?" Vernal asked.

_"Similarly, so. However, ours can reach out beyond the fabric of time and space. They cannot."_

Pyrrha looked lost. "That's reassuring?"

**"Ten days left…" It may not sound like much but being on guard for ten days can certainly be exhausting.**

**Far away from the school, crouched on top of a roof is S-Rank Border Agent Yuichi Jin, overlooking the city with a serious expression. It changed into a look of surprise as the sky quickly darkened. **

**"Damn, they're early."**

"Things are about to escalate very quickly," Elm said with a serious expression.

Vine nodded, "It certainly looks like it."

**The scene quickly shifts back to Chika who immediately stood up the moment her 'Side Effect' detected the Neighbor's tearing open the gates into their world. Her friends frowned and turned their attention to Chika before catching sight of the dark clouds looming overhead.**

**Unnatural dark clouds quickly coated the entire city, rumbling and crackling with energy. Within seconds, numerous black lightning spewed out from the clouds, pooling into black crackling orbs that function as gateways. The city was instantly covered in crackling gate portals, signaling the start of a large-scale invasion.**

"Whoa! What are those black lightning?" Nora swayed, "And why is it turning into a sphere?"

"Yeah, what are those?" Asked Neptune.

_"Those are gates. They allow objects to traverse across worlds."_

"They're quite sinister-looking." Weiss gripped her seat's armrest tightly.

**Osamu gripped the metal rails tightly. "This is…!" **

**/-/**

**Back at the HQ, Mission Control was frantically reading over the reports. **

**"Gates number, 38, 39, 40… Still increasing!" Shouted one of the operators.**

**The screen was quickly filling up with symbols representing gates and Trion Soldiers, automated soldiers created from Trion. **

**"Units currently on duty are to deploy following the instructions of their operators!" Ordered the General Manager and Commander of the Self-Defense Unit, Masafumi Shinoda. "Destroy the Trion Soldiers! Don't let even one of them escape from the danger zone!" **

Ironwood gave an approving grunt, "A firm and rapid response."

"They'll certainly have their hands full." Winter nodded.

**An emergency notification went out to all Border agent's cellphone. **

**Osamu quickly took out his cellphone from his pocket. "It's an emergency call!"**

**_"Dispatch emergency calls to the off duty regular members!" _Shinoda's voice carried over as the off-duty agents were activated. _"Let's counterattack with all fighting potential we have! Battle start!"_**

"And charismatic and inspiring." Ozpin took a small sip from his mug, "He seems competent and composed."

**/-/**

**"Gate generation! Gate generation!" Blared the city siren systems, "Large-scale generation of gates has been detected! All people in the vicinity of the danger zone are to take shelter at once!" **

**The city was completely overrun by Trion soldiers. **

**Bug-like Trion soldiers with multiple bladed appendixes known as Marmots scurried on the sides of buildings and in highways. Large quadrupedal worm-like creatures with sharp antennas called Vanders shattered roads and buildings with their large frames. Overhead, flying Trion soldiers resembling tadpole shrimps called Bados populated the skies with their dual glowing halo-like wings. **

"Ack! What are those things? And why are their eyes inside their mouth?!" Coco said with disgust.

_"Those are Trion soldiers."_

"There's so many of them…" Velvet said with a concerned look.

Every huntsman and huntresses found the scene eerily resembling Grimm overrunning villages and towns.

Ironwood grimly nodded, "It's an invasion."

**"What's that?!" A student watching within the confines of Mikado City Middle School gasped upon witnessing the Trion soldiers rampaging throughout the city. **

**"The area towards the base is pitch-black!" **

**Osamu burst into the room, "Madam!" **

**Their homeroom teacher turned towards him, "Yes, Mikumo?" **

**"I received an emergency call, so I must leave! Please have all the students in the school take shelter as far away from the base as possible!" **

**The teacher nodded, "Understood."**

**"Mikumo!" His peers stopped him. "Is it dangerous?! This whole situation…!"**

**"The number of Neighbors has probably breached the precautionary line." He explained, "Cooperate with the teacher to have everyone take shelter. I'm counting on you."**

**His classmates gulped. "U-understood."**

**"Be careful, alright?" **

"I can't imagine what's it's like for them to be caught up in that," Pyrrha said sympathetically.

Yang nodded, "Yeah…"

"That's why Border is there to protect them." Ruby interjected, "Just like us huntsmen and huntresses."

The 'villains' all rolled their eyes at that.

**He nodded and ran out of the school building along with Chika, Yuma, and Izuho. They stopped when they reached the school gate to which he turned to face Chika. **

**"Chika. Take shelter with everyone else. Don't ever get close to the danger zone!" He ordered. "When needed, don't hesitate to use your trigger and help everyone!" **

**Chika nodded with a worried look. "Yes, got it." **

Ozpin raised a hand, "If I may, what is a trigger?"

_"Triggers are devices that manipulate and powered by Trion. They can be utilized in a wide variety, but commonly a trigger is used to construct a Trion body; similar to aura, and weapons." _

"I see."

Pietro nodded, taking down a few notes of his own along with most of the Atlesians in the room. "That sounds quite fascinating."

**"Natsume, I leave Chika in your care."**

**Izuho saluted him, "Roger, Mister four eyes."**

**"Kuga." **

**"Yeah?" The white-haired boy looked intrigued.**

**"Come with me. Let's hold back the Trion soldiers!" **

**Yuma cracked his knuckles with a grin. "I knew you'd say that." He paused and turned to Chika, handing out a black floating substance of Replica, his own Trion soldier. "Chika, I'm giving you a small Replica too. Call me when you're in trouble. Either me or Osamu will definitely come to your help." **

Penny tilted her head upon seeing the miniature Replica. "That device… It appears to be an autonomous communication device."

_"It's a smaller component of a friendly Trion soldier named Replica, belonging to Yuma Kuga. The boy with white hair and red eyes."_

"Fascinating." Pietro stroked his beard.

**Chika smiled, "Alright."**

**"Let's go, trigger on!" They activated their triggers, immediately enveloped by bright lights and forming their Trion bodies and Border uniforms before taking off into the danger zone. **

"They can easily change into their uniform in an instant? No fair! I want one!" Yang jokingly whined.

Coco barked a laugh, "Me too, bombshell. Wonder if it's customizable."

_"It is very much so." _Said the Hosts.

"And it looks concealable and portable." Clover hummed, "I wonder if we'll ever reach that stage in our technology."

Pietro chuckled, "Oh. I hope so!"

**/-/**

**Back in HQ, Mission Control kept track of their enemy's movements. **

**"The Trion soldiers have split into several groups and are heading for the town areas in each direction!" On-screen, numerous symbols identifying each Trion soldiers as they scattered away from the heavily defended HQ. "Looking at it from Headquarters' point of view, there are five directions: West, Northwest, East, South, and Southwest!" General Manager Assistant, Sawamura Kyouko gave her report on the situation.**

**_'So, they split up?' _Thought General Manager Shinoda. _'What a bother… Then let's decentralize our forces that are there too. Still, we won't have time to crush them all if we're just on their pursuit.' _**

Sun's tail swished back and forth as he pondered at the General Manager's decision. "Is that a good idea?"

"I think it is." Jaune nodded, "I-I mean… It depends if they can handle the monsters, err… Trion soldiers. When they split up."

"They'll have to see how things turn out to know for certain." Ironwood cautioned, "And these Trion soldiers appear to have another destination in mind than their base of operations… How odd."

"It could be heavily defended." Jaune pointed out, "Isn't a headquarter or base suppose to be heavily defended? Maybe that's the reason?"

"Mhm. Perhaps." Still, Ironwood did find it odd the Trion soldiers didn't try to swarm the base. Though the Atlesian general will have to admit. Jaune Arc did have sound logic. If the base is heavily defended with let's say powerful artilleries, then a swarm of Trion soldiers would definitely be annihilated. Then again, this world functions differently than their world. It wouldn't be farfetched for different logic and reasoning to be applied in combat.

**He turned to his assistant, "Divide the units at the scene in three groups and send them to meet the enemies to the East, South, and Southwest!" **

**"Roger!"**

Blake frowned, "But what about the other areas?"

**"N-not so fast, General Manager!" Protested a frail-looking man with a prominent nose. He is Border's Media Countermeasures Chief, Netsuki Eizou. "What about West and Northwest?!" **

**"No need to worry." Shinoda assured his colleague, "After all, for West and Northwest… I already have Jin and Amou heading over there." With two S-Rank Border agents sent to secure West and Northwest, Border can redirect their focus on other areas without worry. A large number of Trion soldiers is no match for either Jin or Amou in any case. "There shouldn't be any problem in leaving it to those two."**

**Eizou breathed out a sigh of relief, "Indeed. They're quite trustworthy when the going gets tough."**

"Looks like they put their best and powerful guys in those areas." Qrow grunted, "And it sounds like they're very capable."

"Is it a good idea for their best people away from their base?" Emerald questioned.

Mercury shrugged, "Maybe."

"They probably have more capable people to spare." Cinder guessed, "After all, it's not always the wisest move to pool all their strongest in one place."

**"The other directions are quite problematic though." Shinoda continued with a grim look, "It's possible the Trion soldiers will manage to enter the town area before the defense unit can catch up with them." He turned towards a short and squat man, "Headquarters Development Chief Kinuta?"**

**"I get it." The man bluntly replied, "I've already arranged countermeasures with Fuyushima's unit."**

**/-/**

**Two Marmots steadily walked through the city with their six legs, clicking against the tarred road. Their three eyes rotated inside the 'mouth' of their body, surveying their area, looking for civilians to capture. **

**As they walked near the edge of the danger zone, the ground underneath them suddenly sprang into life, shooting long blades out of the ground, impaling the two Marmots. A series of heavy turrets popped out of the sidewalks and aimed at the impaled Marmots, shredding them to pieces with their heavy armaments.**

"They have some crazy defense systems in place!" Sun exclaimed.

"Their city seems to be more prepared than what it appears."

Robyn scowled at Ironwood, "Yeah. If only Mantle was the same."

**"Traps activated!" Kyouko exclaimed positively, "Trion soldiers eliminated!" **

**Kinuta grunted, "We can always bombard them from the base if it comes to that, but… If the defense unit doesn't arrive quickly, the base's Trion supply will become stone broke."**

**"No, it's enough." Shinoda smiled, "The units have just arrived."**

**The scene cuts to Suwa's Unit easily shattering a Marmot with a single high-powered shotgun blast.**

**"Suwa's unit has arrived on site!" Suwa radioed in and turned to his teammates. "Let's eliminate the Neighbors!" **

"For such a simple looking weapon. It packs an extraordinary amount of firepower." Vine noted with slight interest.

"Boo." Ruby pouted, "Their weapons look too plain."

Tai chuckled at his youngest daughter's antic. "Not every weapon has to be overly designed, Ruby."

**In another part of a city, another gigantic Trion soldier known as a Bamster had its head cleaved through. It collapsed with a heavy thud, scattering debris everywhere. **

**Two B-Class Border agents glanced at their handiwork before turning their attention to the remaining enemies. "Tsutsumi Daichi has arrived on site! Commencing fighting!" **

Jaune looked awestruck. "That thing looks like a tank, and they just sliced right through it like it was a piece of fruit."

"Like watermelons!" Nora quipped.

**The focus shifts to a barrel of a sniper rifle aiming at an unseen target. With an echoing shot, a large bolt decimated a Vander's head that was peering over a building. **

"Boom. Headshot." Ruby said, lowering her voice to make it sound cool.

"Broken like fragile clay!" Elm laughed.

**"Azuma's unit has arrived," Azuma announced over comms. "Commencing the offensive." **

**Back at Border's Headquarters, Kyouko updated HQ on their status. "Kazama's unit, Arashiyama's unit, Arafune's unit, Kakizaki's unit, as well as Chano's unit are also heading towards the elimination point!" **

**"Great! Have the units meet up quickly. Cooperate and focus on defense."**

**/-/**

**Floating meters above the ground, a small, somewhat adorable, and friendly purple-colored Trion soldier named Replica analyzed the situation. "Hostilities have started between Border and the Trion soldiers."**

"That must be Replica." Penny guessed, "I wonder what its purpose is."

"It's kinda cute. A bit sleepy looking." Velvet said.

Coco grinned at her teammate, "Probably because it has those cute bunny-like ears."

**"What's the situation?" Asked Osamu, sprinting at full speed towards their destination.**

**"In numbers, the Trion soldiers are overwhelming us, but for some reason, the enemy is decentralizing its forces." Replica gave them a brief rundown, "If the pursing and off-duty units hasten, this war will then turn to Border's advantage. Using preparations and foresight, we largely captured the enemy's initial response."**

"Interesting." Pietro rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "This Trion soldier is very analytical. Perhaps an automated machine made for tactical analysis?"

_"Replica is a multipurpose Trion soldier, serving many functions."_

"Ah. I see."

**Osamu looked hopeful and surprise at the same time, "Then that means we're at –"**

**"No, it's not over yet." Yuma interrupted, "If coming to attack us now are the same folks that caused the disturbances using Rads before…" The scene cuts to a small insect-like Trion soldier being rounded up by Border agents. "Then they've estimated Border forces would at least be this much. Yet, the fact they came to wage war means they believe they have their chances to win."**

**"…!"**

"So, their enemies already gathered intelligence on their capabilities before all of this?" Clover said thoughtfully, "If that's the case, great caution might be needed in conducting their counterattack."

"Or their enemies could just be overconfident or incompetent." Marrow put out.

"Like you?" Harriet joked.

Marrow huffed, "No."

**"Don't lose focus, Osamu." Yuma said seriously, "Fundamentally in battle, the side with the larger numbers has the advantage."**

**It cuts to Azuma's unit cutting down a Marmot with precision. "Mr. Azuma, I've just disposed of the last one." **

**"Great," Azuma nodded with a smile, "Then let's go assist the other units."**

**The sound of crackling could be heard behind him, catching the entire unit's attention. A corpse of a Vander was being pried open from inside out from the side of the neck. Bursting out of the Vander corpse was a humanoid-shaped Trion soldier with rabbit-like ears on its head. Its arms and legs were pawed in, giving it the appearance of a vicious, bulky rabbit. **

**Azuma was instantly on guard, "What the heck is that thing?"**

"What the hell?! Something just burst out of that thing!"

Tai scowled, "Yang, language."

"But seriously, what is that?" Emerald said, creeped out by how it was staring at the Border agents.

"One mean mutated, robotic-like rabbit," Coco muttered under her breath.

"And how is that possible? Just how hollow is that thing that it came out from?" Weiss asked.

_"Trion engineering and development are completely different than the principles of what your world is familiar with. As such, you may find some things rather impossible that is common in their world." _The Hosts explained, _"Be prepared for many surprises."_

**The scene cuts back to Yuma and Osamu. "The fact they have decentralized their forces means… They have some kind of aim."**

**The camera flashes to several other rabbit-like Trion soldiers confronting more Border units.**

"Looks like they're about to find out." Ozpin calmly said as he observed and anticipated how Border will react to this new threat.

"They don't look so tough." Nora boasted, "But they do look creepy."

"I wouldn't underestimate it." Clover cut in, "They must have a good reason for putting one of those things inside the larger ones."

**In the East of the Base, Suwa's unit was locked in a standoff against the Trion soldier mode. "Hey, something came out." **

**"It's a new model…" **

**It wasn't just Azuma's and Suwa's unit who were encountering these new models. Border agents sent out to deal with the Trion soldiers are beginning to report back seeing a new model that they have no information on. **

**"S-something new came out from the stomach of the colossal neighbor!" **

**Daichi stepped in front of his teammate protectively, "Mr. Kuruma, please fall back." He ordered, never letting his eyes off of the new model. "That thing looks dangerous."**

**The Trion soldier silently stared at them. It's wide, single eyes nested in its head protected by teeth-like structures, watching… Waiting…**

Blake felt her hair stand up. It was an instinctual reaction against a possible threat. "Why isn't it attacking?"

"It's watching. Waiting." Port said with his eyes narrowed even more. "It's waiting for them to make a move or slip up. I've seen this before from older Creatures of Grimm."

Jaune gulped, "Oh boy."

**"Is that a Trion soldier too…?" Another Border unit warily raised their weapons. **

**"It's my first time seeing one like this." Confirmed another.**

**Azuma narrowed his eyes, _'So, it's the arrival of new troops?'_**

**"Now is not the time to keep staring down at it, but… We're too close to it." **

**One of Azuma's teammates, Okudera turned his head slightly to his unit leader. "Please go ahead, Mr. Azuma! We'll take care of it…"**

Port hissed, "Bad move!"

"Oh no." Marrow looked worried for the boy named Okudera.

**In an instant, the new Trion soldier sprang from its spot with its two powerful hindlegs.**

**"Okudera!" Azuma shouted, but it was too late.**

**The Trion soldier turned its entire body and backhanded Okudera, who was barely able to react in time. A powerful shockwave rippled through the air as Okudera was sent flying through several blocks of buildings, leveling them in the process. **

The audience went still for a moment, trying to process the titanic strength and speed the Trion soldier displayed.

"Holy shit…" Yang's jaw dropped.

Her father and Glynda were too shocked to scold her for swearing.

"What fearsome strength." Cinder's surprised expression quickly slipped away, and she began taking notes for her mistress, Salem. She didn't know how the Queen of Grimm design specific Grimm, but Cinder might earn more favors from Salem if she can help design or inspire a new breed of terrifying Grimm.

Roman shivered, "That kid has got to be dead."

**"O…!"**

**"Okudera! Answer me!" Azuma shouted into his comms. **

**Okudera shakily got up from the ground, leaning on the rubbles for support. "I'm… I'm… Fine…"**

"He's alive? I'm impressed." Raven barely hide her surprise. "I suppose it's the Trion body you were talking about, Hosts."

_"That is correct. Trion bodies can withstand a lot of punishment without damaging their real bodies."_

"Almost like aura, huh?" Qrow took a sip from his flask. "Damn. That was a nasty punch that thing gave to the kid."

**"You bastard!" The third member of Azuma's unit, Koarai roared at the Trion soldier and moved to attack it. **

Glynda's face scrunched up slightly, "He shouldn't let emotions get the better of him."

"It'll endanger his teammates and himself." Ironwood nodded.

**"Don't Koarai!" Azuma warned, "That thing's aiming to divide our team!" But his warning fell on deaf ears as Koarai charged and swung his sword at it. **

**The Trion soldier reacted swiftly, grabbing Koarai mid-swing with blinding speed and slamming him into a wall, shattering it like crumbling dirt. **

Neptune winced, "Yikes!"

**"Guh!" Koarai coughed and readjusted his weapon to stab down into the Trion solder's arm. "Let go you…!"**

**His counterattack was stopped with by another single grab, this time… The Trion soldier grabbed his two arms and ripped it clean off. **

"Oh! Whoa!" Coco yelped.

Oscar was notably pale, "H-his arm…"

Ozpin's face was ashen, "It appears these Trion soldiers are very capable fighters."

**With Koarai literally disarmed and within the Trion solder's grasp, it tossed aside Koarai's arm and opened up its chest, revealing several sickle-like appendages. **

Ruby nearly jumped back a row out of instinct. "Ah?! What is it doing?!"

"What are those things?" Weiss asked with a shocked expression.

The Hosts replied, _"It'll be revealed later in this viewing." _

**"What?!" Koarai was now panicking as the sickle-like appendages opened up, trying to enrapture the Border agent. "Uwaa?! What the fuck?!" **

**"Koarai!" Azuma quickly charged up his sniper rifle and fired a powerful bolt. **

**However, the Trion soldier reflected the attack with a single-arm without bothering to glance up. **

**Azuma froze, trying to quickly analyze his predicament. _'It repelled the Ibis?!' _**

**"Uwaaaa! Mr. Azuma!" Koarai cried out.**

"What is he going to do?" Ren asked nervously.

"Who cares? Do something!" Nora yelled.

**Without a second thought, Azuma fired his gun at Koarai, blowing off his head and surprisingly the Trion soldier. **

"WHAT?!" Several audience members shrieked in shock at the friendly fire.

**_"Trion body limit exceeded." _A robotic voice announced from the headless Trion body of Koarai. _"Bailout initiated."_**

**Koarai's entire Trion body exploded and shot out of the Trion solder's hand, shooting off into the sky towards Border HQ like a bright flare. As it landed into HQ, Koarai real body fell from the ceiling and into a giant cushion. Waiting for him is their unit's operator.**

**"Koarai, you alright?" Their unit operator asked him. **

**He instantly sat up and gasped, placing a hand over his heart. "I-I'm saved!"**

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Hold it." Coco raised a hand and placed it over her heart. "What just happened? His team leader just shot his own teammates head off and then his entire body exploded and teleported somewhere else. What was that?"

_"Border has developed an escape feature known as Bail-Out for most of their triggers. When a Border agent's Trion body sustained enough damage, their Trion body will dispersed, and their real body will be transferred to Border HQ. Hence why his teammate decided to terminate his squad member in that particular situation." _

"Oh… Okay."

Pyrrha heaved out a sigh of relief. "That's good, I guess."

"Such a function exists?" Pietro exclaimed, "Why, if only we had something similar in our world!" He typed something into his scroll. "Remnant doesn't have anything like this. I wonder if we can develop an escape system in place for all registered huntsmen and huntresses…"

Ozpin nodded, "That certainly sounds something Remnant desperately needs."

_"Continuing with the viewing."_

**Back in the city, Azuma was kept his gun trained at the leering Trion soldier. "Mr. Shinoda! Azuma talking!" He comm his superior to give them a description of the new threat, "We've encountered a new Trion soldier! It's a little over 3 meters in size. It walks on two legs with a form that is close to that of a human. It's small but has high fighting strength!" Azuma took a deep breath and continued, "Now for its characteristics… It moves to capture unit members! It's cautious against objects, over!" **

**"It captures unit members?!" Shinoda briefly showed a shocked expression at the mention of capturing unit members. "Understood! Engage it carefully until reinforcement arrives!"**

"That's what it was doing? Trying to capture them?" Vernal was confused, "Is it because they knew they couldn't escape if that thing was able to 'capture' them?"

_"Not quite. There are multiple reasons for capturing people. However, Neighbors often invade other worlds to harvest the Trions of the inhabitants there to fuel their wars."_

Weiss gulped at that, not wanting to know what her father and his board of unsavory people would do if they discovered Trion. "Perhaps it's best our world didn't know about this Trion stuff."

Robyn raises her eyebrows but didn't say anything. Looks like there's always a black sheep somewhere in the family.

**Hearing Azuma's report, Osamu, Yuma, and Replica paused a bit. **

**"New Trion soldiers?" Osama thought out loud to himself.**

**"I see… So, that's their plan…" Replica floated down a few inches and opened up a communication channel with HQ. "General Manager Shinoda. That new model is most likely a recently developed Trion soldier made for capturing develop by Aftokrator. A Rabbit."**

"A Rabbit? Really?" Maria said flatly.

"Very original." Velvet grumbled, earning a chuckle from her teammates.

**"For capture?" Shinoda kept his ears open, "Isn't capturing civilians what the colossal Trion soldier Bamster for?" **

Winter sneered, "How atrocious. Designing a machine just for capturing civilians."

"My thoughts exactly, Schnee." Ironwood nodded with a thunderous expression.

**"Their role might be different, but their target is different." Replica explained, "The Rabbit is a Trion soldier designed to capture trigger users."**

**Kinuta and Eizou stood up from their seats with a graved expression. **

**"W-wait…!"**

**"What did you say?!" **

**"It's better to be cautious when confronting one." Replica continued, "It's completely different in terms of abilities compared to the other Trion soldiers. Even sending an A-Class against it, a single one… Would have great difficulties defeating it."**

"Ho… These Rabbits are truly dangerous if that's the case." Port twirled his mustache. "A being designed to fight and capture their opponent. How menacing."

Qrow nodded, "This is going to be a rough battle. A-Class means they're better fighters, eh Hosts?"

_"That is correct."_

"Well. Shit."

"Swear! Uncle Qrow, swear!"

**Heavy gunfire echoed throughout the city. A multitude of Trion bullets struck hard against the Rabbit thick exoskeleton slightly denting its armor, but the minor damages did not impede its ability to continue functioning. **

**"Fuck!" Suwa and his teammates had been constantly attacking the Rabbit at every angle to no avail. "It's as dense as an idiot!"**

Neptune gulped, "It's very durable for its size."

"Swear!"

Weiss placed a hand over her partner's mouth. "Ruby, stop that."

**"Hisato! Wrench it open!"**

**"Roger!"**

**The young Border agent named Hisato jumped off a rooftop and used his falling momentum to stab his sword into the segmented long neck of the Rabbit. **

Port nodded approvingly, "They're making use of its blind spots."

**Silently calculating, the Rabbit activated the small Trion hair-like receptors on its backside, discharging a large volt of electricity, frying, and stunning Hisato off its backside. **

"Oh crap!"

"Maybe not." Clover narrowed his eyes, "It has countermeasures in its blind spot. A lot of thought has been put into designing this..."

"Wholly designed and developed." Pietro agreed despite wearing a graved expression.

**"Hisato!" His teammates cried out and reacted quickly before the Rabbit could move to capture their fallen teammate. **

**"Bastard!" Suwa whipped out both of his shotgun and fired wildly at the Rabbit, point-blank. "I'll blow you to pieces!"**

**The Rabbit crossed its arms defensively to block the barrage, giving his Suwa's unit time to collect Hisato from the ground. Its vulnerable eye was safely secured behind its teeth-like carapace, giving it an appearance of a faceless, grinning rabbit-like creature. Thick smoke poured into the air as each shotgun shell exploded against the armored Trion soldier, concealing Suwa's visibility. **

"Nice save!" Ruby cheered.

Tai disagreed, "No, not yet…"

**Sensing an opportunity, the Rabbit's hand shot out of the smoke and lunged at Suwa grabbing him with both arms. Suwa let out a surprised yelp before getting dragged towards the Rabbit's exposed mechanical torso, consuming him completely. **

"What? What?! How did it stuff the entire guy into its body?" Nora pointed at the screen.

_"You'll find out soon enough." _The Hosts replied.

**The Rabbit closed its torso, turning towards its next target. The remaining members of Suwa's unit could hardly believe their eyes. **

**"Mr. Suwa!" Daichi cried in terror. **

"There goes their team leader." Read Neo's sign.

"Get out of there you idiots!" Marrow yelled.

Winter shook her head sadly, "They can't hear you."

**The Rabbit kicked off from the ground, lunging towards the Border agents.**

**However, it detected an intrusion and stopped hard in its track, just in time to avoid a powerful shot ripping through the area, leaving rubbles in its wake. **

Harriet breathed, feeling relieved. "Reinforcement has arrived."

**"Is that the new model?" A newcomer asked, "It's smaller than I thought."**

**Suwa's unit found themselves supported by Kazama's unit, an A-Class unit with numerous of combat experience. **

**"Don't underestimate it." Kazama scolded his teammate, "It's stronger than it looks."**

**"I know, I've learned that before when making my sudden exit."**

**Daichi looked relieved, "Mr. Kazama!" **

**"Step back, Suwa's unit." Kazama ordered emotionlessly, "We'll take care of this new model." He opened a communication channel to HQ. "Headquarters, Kazama's unit speaking. Suwa was eaten by the new model." **

**"Uwah. It's looking this way." A member of Kazama's unit, Shiro Kikuchiara stated with disgust as the Rabbit seemingly glared at them. "It's giving me the creeps…"**

Oscar nodded in agreement with that statement, "It's very uncanny. The silent staring isn't helping either."

"Not like Bun-bun." Coco nudged her faunus friend, "She's cute. Unlike that thing."

"Coco. Knock it off." Velvet swatted aside her team leader's elbow.

**Kazama ignored his teammate's remark, "Let's rescue him at once."**

**"Mr. Kazama!" Hisato steadily got up on his knees, "I'll help out too! It's because I was done in that Mr. Suwa was eaten!"**

**"Hisato…" Daichi looked uncertain. They weren't in a good position even with Kazama's unit with them.**

**"I told you we'd take care of it." Kazama coldly said, "The cooperation between attackers is much more important than for gunners. Including unfamiliar people would conversely diminish our fighting ability."**

Nora scowled, "What does he mean by that? Why won't they let them join in and rescue their leader?"

"He's saying that the other team will get in their way and team cohesion." Jaune calmly explained, having trouble deciding whether he agree or disagree with Kazama's reasoning. "And from the sound of it, they use a very different style of attacks."

_"That is correct, Mr. Arc." _

"Hehe." Jaune rubbed his head in embarrassment, "Thank you."

"But… Still." Nora pouted. She and her teammates would definitely do everything they can to rescue Jaune if he were ever in trouble.

**Hisato wasn't giving up yet, "But, I can't just retreat like this!"**

**"Then, if you plunge into this of your own volition, you'll die." He gave him a chilling stare, "Also, your mission is now over." **

**"Just retreat." Kikuchiara tactlessly dismissed, "You're weak after all."**

"He's right." Raven nodded, "Their little performance earlier shows that."

Yang scowled, "He could have said it differently. What an as-"

"Yang. Don't swear." Tai shot his daughter an unamused look.

**"Pursue the Trion soldiers together with Tsutsumi and the others." Ryo Utagawa assured them, "We'll definitely save Suwa."**

**Hisato gritted his teeth and bowed. "… Roger." **

**As Suwa's unit fled the scene, Kazama was now free to focus on the task at hand. "Mikami, send over the data for this area."**

**"Copy that," Their operator, Mikami immediately transferred the data over to them. "Support intelligence now displaying in your field of vision."**

**"The enemies are large in numbers. Let's dispose of it quickly and go on to the next one." **

**"Roger!"**

**/-/**

**"East of the base, Kazama's unit has started fighting the new model!" Kyouko reported, "Currently, only one of Suwa's unit member has been captured." The HQ monitor screen displayed numerous of blinking lights and symbols clashing against each other. "South of the base, one Azuma's unit member has bailed-out! They're currently battling the new model on a united front with Kakizaki's unit! On the southwest, Chano's unit and Suzunari branch members have each encountered a new model!" There seemingly seems to be no end to this chaos. "The swarm of Trion soldiers cannot be stopped due to the interference of the new models! They're breaking through the danger zone!"**

Jaune shifted in his seat, "That sounds bad."

**"Unsatisfactory! This is unsatisfactory!" Eizou placed a hand on his forehead, mopping away heavy sweat. "If victims appear among the citizens, Border's reputation will…!"**

**"How is the condition of Suwa?" Shinoda stepped in. **

**"His Trion body response hasn't disappeared." Said Kyouko, "Also, it seems he cannot execute bail-out either." **

"He cares about reputation in this time of crisis?" Robyn raised an eyebrow, "Though I must say. I'll probably give it pass since it concerns the citizens."

Qrow glanced at Robyn, "A people's person?"

"Let's just say, I'm an advocate for better conditions for the people of Mantle back in Remnant."

**"Good." If that's the case, then Suwa should be fine once Kazama's unit has dealt with the new Trion soldier. "Kazama's unit will get Suwa back."**

**"General Manager Shinoda! Please turn the units back at once!" Eizou protested, "At this rate, the city will…!"**

**"The units joining forces takes precedence!" Shinoda raised his voice, "The enemy will not be beaten by having our forces fall behind! We'll just fall prey to the new models if we move carelessly! Even if we continue to pursue the swarm of Trion soldiers, the possibility of new models appearing also exists!" He turned back to the monitor, "Off duty members and Arashiyama's unit are currently heading to the south and southwest. The units that are currently fighting must ensure that preserving their fighting strength is their top priority!" **

Yang flinched at the fierceness of Shinoda's voice. "That was very intense."

"He's a strong and intelligent leader." Ironwood admired, "Just by his eyes alone, I can tell he has many battle experiences to back it up."

Ozpin nodded, "Indeed."

**"B-but… But then…" **

**"If we lose…" The leader of Border, Commander Kido spoke up. "Our assets here. It'll be difficult for us 'afterward'. I'm in favor of the General Manager's decision." **

"Yeesh. Someone looks like a criminal harden thug." Nora remarked at Kido's emotionless expression and his long scar that cuts vertically across his face.

"Nora…" Ren said disapprovingly.

**With Kido supporting Shinoda, Eizou didn't have much of a choice but to back down. "Commander Kido…"**

**Kido narrowed his eyes, "However…"**

**/-/**

**Large numbers of Trion soldiers continued to make their ways through the city, quickly replacing the destroyed ones. No matter how many times Yuma and Osamu cut them down, there's just no end to them. **

"This really brings me back to the mission we had before Beacon Dance." Reminiscing the time, they had to exterminate a large group of converging Grimm. The mission dragged on, causing Team CFVY to miss out on the planning of Beacon Dance.

Velvet stared worryingly at the screen. "There's no end to them…"

**Osamu panted slightly. "The number of Trion soldiers coming in our way has suddenly increased!" **

**"So, the regular members are opposing the Rabbit?" Yuma casually flicked his blade out from a Marmot. "All the same thought, we can't let the soldiers scatter any more than this."**

**Replica floated up to them explaining their logic, "The regular members that dispersed have their hands full with the Rabbits." A small digital illustration projected out from the friendly Trion soldier. A Border agent swaying his head back and forth, wondering if he should deal with the Rabbit or the horde of Trion soldiers. "Concentrating our forces on the Rabbits would incur having the town areas attacked by the other Trion soldiers. And if we focused on protecting the town areas, the Rabbits would imperil the rear. Making the best of their advantageous number of soldiers, this is a move to show us off."**

"They're forced to make a hard decision. Focus on the stronger enemy and risk letting the weaker ones wreak havoc or focus on the weaker ones and let the stronger ones wreak havoc." Harriet scowled.

"How would you handle this situation?" Winter asked theoretically to her colleagues. The Ace-Ops turned to their leader, Clover, for an answer.

Clover thought for a moment, "I would probably be prioritizing the dangerous enemy first. Leave the weaker ones to the other teams or battalion. General? What do you think?"

"I agree with your assessment, specialist."

**"Splitting the soldiers in a half-assed way would be playing right into the enemy's hands," Yuma added in-between his fight against several Trion soldiers. "I think focusing on the Rabbits is a good decision."**

**"B-but then…"**

**/-/**

**The focus shifted back to HQ with Kido continuing from where the scene left off.**

**"… With this way of doing things. If they happen to have a hard time dealing with the new models, the town areas will be annihilated." **

**"I know that." Shinoda had already taken that into account. "And that's why I'll wait until the A-Class have joined forces. The A-Class units will handle the new models. Then the B-class units will focus on protecting the town areas after all units have united." **

"A sound plan, if you ask me." Oobleck nodded, "These Rabbits will have a difficult time if they're more of them to cover each other."

"Letting their weak people regroup while their strong fighters take the field with those creepy rabbit things, huh?" Mercury tapped his armrest. "Sounds reasonable."

Cinder smirked, "Strength in numbers."

**"All units combined?" Eizou cupped his chin with a frown, "Then they'll only turn up in the East, South, Southwest one place at a time, won't they?"**

**"Exactly. They'll certainly eliminate the enemy, clearing one place at a time." He nodded with a serious look, "And in that time, the injured in the other sectors will have to, a certain extent, time to prepare themselves." **

**"How will you decide on the sequential order of the sectors you'll go to help?" Kinuta spoke up, "There'll be complaints afterward you know." **

**"I'll prioritize the sectors that weren't able to properly evacuate. Are there other questions?"**

"The most vulnerable areas will be helped first." Robyn hmphed an approval. "Still won't cut back any criticism from others. Damn if you do, damn if you don't."

"Ha. You said it." Qrow toasted with his flask.

**"If by chance that even the A-Class cannot stop the new models, what will you do?" Kido questioned. His expression was dull and unreadable as always.**

**Shinoda didn't say anything for several seconds. His eyes burned up with an insurable amount of fighting spirit. "This is certainly something unlikely to happen, but… Should the time arise, I'd step out."**

"That sounded way more badass than it should be." Coco whistled.

"Language, Miss Adel," Glynda said as she pushed her glasses up.

"So, if things go south, then this guy is going out into the field to fix it by himself?" Vernal eyed the man, "He does look formidable."

**/-/**

**Kazama's unit zipped around the Rabbit, occasionally striking out with their blades at certain parts of the Trion soldier to test its durability. **

**"Don't get caught! Beware of the electroshocks too!" Kazama warned.**

**"Copy that!"**

**"I won't get caught." Kikuchiara scoffed, "Not by such simple movements."**

"Don't be too sure of yourself," Qrow warned.

"Someone sure is cocky," Coco muttered under her breath.

**The Rabbit reevaluated its position, understanding that it's outnumbered and outmaneuvered by the three Border agents. Being able to keep up with its speed, the Rabbit's programming branched out into another approach. Bring its arms back, the Rabbit smashed its fist into the ground, destroying several meters of groundwork, kicking of heavy dust and debris. **

**Kazama's unit appeared to be caught off guard, allowing the Rabbit to burst through the smokescreen with an attack directed at Kikuchiara.**

**"Damnit, what a pain." Kikuchiara sighed. He blocked the heavy strike with his dual sword and was punched into a nearby wall, leaving him slightly bruised from the impact. "Great, great. Over here, Over here." He baited.**

"They're baiting it." Weiss realized.

Winter nodded, "A risky move, but a much-needed one."

**Something zoomed towards the attacking Rabbit, something unseen. However, the rabbit-like ears on its head twitched, detecting something heading towards it. Reacting instinctively, the Rabbit came to a screeching halt and shut its jaws, protecting its core and eye as Kazama and Utagawa appeared out of thin air and viciously cross slashed its face. **

**Despite their attacks failing to hit their intended mark, they managed to somersault in the air and landed on a nearby roof, reexamining their target. **

"They have cloaking technology?" Pietro exclaimed excitedly, "This showing is full of surprises!"

Upon the mentioning of their ability to become invisible, Robyn thought back to May Marigold and her semblance. How she wished her teammates were here, or herself back in Remnant.

_"They are utilizing an Optional trigger known as Chameleon." _The Hosts explained, _"This trigger allows them to become invisible at the expense of not being able to utilize other triggers during the duration of their invisibility without revealing their location."_

"A fitting name." Pietro nodded, typing something down into his scroll.

"That sounds useful," Blake said thoughtfully.

"I knew you would say that." Yang teased her partner.

**"C'mon, what are you doing?" Kikuchiara complained, brushing specks of dust off his sleeve. "Couldn't you have ended this in one attack? Even though I'd finally managed to lure it in…"**

Neo smirked as she twirled her sign which read: "Being bait is a thankless job."

**Kazama didn't respond to his complaining teammate, "So, it even reacts to stealth attack?"**

**"Its ears are acting like a radar too." Utagawa noted, "Even though they seem to be duller than its 'eye'."**

"Hmmm… Very well designed." Pietro reluctantly praised.

"It sounds expensive to produce." Jaune gulped, "Is there any weakness this thing has?"

"Guess we'll have to see." Said Ren.

**"Kikuchiara, what part of its armor are the thickest?" Kazama asked, having no choice but to do this the hard way.**

**"The thickest parts are first, both its arms, then it's head and back." Kikuchiara wiped his face, "Cutting these parts will be the most troublesome." **

**"We'll just have to cut it to pieces starting from the thinnest ones then." Kazama stood up and stared at his prey. "First the ears, then the legs, and to finish… The stomach."**

Yang grinned and punched her fist. "Guess they're doing things the hard way."

"The fun way." Nora corrected her.

**The Rabbit silently stared at Kazama. Its single eye relayed visual feedback of Kazama standing over the rooftop, glaring down at it.**

**/-/**

**"Hey, hey… People that can squarely fight the Rabbits have already appeared." **

**"Good gracious…" Said an elderly man with a black military cape. "Miden's advancement is really remarkable… It's as simple as that."**

**Inside an expeditionary ship, six Neighbors from Aftokrator watched over the progression of their Trion soldiers.**

"I assume these are the people responsible behind the attack?" Ozpin calmly observed.

_"You are correct. They are from a world called Aftokrator, The Holy Land. Or The God's Country by some. They bolstered the largest military state in the Neighborhood." _

"Which means they have a lot of those Trion soldiers to spare." Clover mused.

Blake remained silent. The horns on the Neighbors bore similar resemblances to Adam's, and that brought back some memories she didn't wish to delve into right now.

**"It's nothing worth worrying about. The Rabbit still has a plain body, right?" Said a black-haired, black horned man.**

**A red-haired man with white horns grinned, "Well, well. They didn't get caught in the dispersion move. How very troublesome."**

**"Should we also sortie? Captain Hairein?" A young man with side horns curved back asked his superior officer.**

**"You'll all go out after we've seen the 'bottom' of Miden's assets." A blue-haired man with black horns on the side of his head assured his squad. "It's nothing to panic over. We still have many 'eggs.'" Hairein eyes read through the report on his screen. "Miden still hasn't fully displayed its assets."**

"It appears you are right on the matter of their reserve forces, Clover." Vine narrowed his eyes, "But their objectives remain a mystery to me. Do they plan on dragging this out until their opponent uses all their assets?"

"I'm with Vine on this one." Said Marrow with a tap to his armrest, "I can understand spreading out their soldiers, but…" He went silent just as Hairein continued speaking.

**Captain Hairein hummed, "Last time when we scattered the Rads, several hundred soldiers were mobilized. Based on this, we can guess that users who can stand up in skill to us exist in great numbers, even if we don't take this unit into account." **

"He's being cautious." Ironwood observed.

**"Ain't ya a bit too scared of going against 'em Miden's monkeys?" Sneered the black-haired Neighbor named Enedora. His left eye sclera is black with a glowing red eye paired with it. "Captain?"**

Ozpin stilled at the sight of Enedora's left eye. It reminded him too much of Salem's eyes. Black, red and glowing.

**"Watch your mouth, Enedora." The young man named Hyuse glowered, "You're being rude to a superior officer." **

**"What? Right back at ya. Who d'ya think yer preachin', huh? Small fry." Enedora shot back.**

"What poor discipline, that one is," Winter said disapprovingly.

Elm scowled, "Insubordination. Disrespecting a superior officer. Bloodthirsty, from the looks of it."

"What's wrong with his eye?" Coco asked, taking notice of Enedora's odd left eye.

_"A byproduct from his Black Trigger." _

**"Hoho. Good gracious." Laughed an elderly man known as Viza. From appearance alone, he looked like a kind grandfather. "The ship won't hold if the two of you start fighting."**

Despite being in an entirely different dimension and time, Raven cautiously kept her eye on the elder man known as Viza. "That old fossil is strong…"

"And doesn't have those horns like the rest," Vernal noted.

**Enedora eyed Viza before clicking his tongue and kicked the table agitatedly, "This is really pissin' me off! I've had my fill of this fuckin' cramped ship!" He turned to his captain, "C'mon send me out there Hairein! I'm gon' kill all of 'em puny Miden's soldiers by myself."**

**"Well, a massacre is only a figure of speech," The red-haired Neighbor, Lamvanein chuckled. "But I'm really starting to want to move my body a bit. Big bro… No, captain." **

"His captain is also his brother? What a surprise." Maria offhandedly remarked.

**Hairein smiled, "Wait a little bit more. You'll all be up soon." He turned to the only female of the group. Another black horned Neighbor. "Mira." **

**"Yes sir." She nodded, "I'm proceeding to the next stage."**

"That doesn't sound good," Ruby muttered under her breath.

**/-/**

**Back in Mikado City, the amount of Trion soldiers kept increasing with no end in sight. The air was now filled with flying Bados and nearly every building had Marmots crawling around. In the streets, Vanders and Marmots continue to push forth, swatting aside their fallen ones without care. **

**"They're too numerous." A miniature Replica warned Osamu, "We had better give up on this place." **

**Osamu stood his ground, bring up his giant shield sword hybrid weapon called a Raygust. "But, if they go through here, Chika and the other people will be in danger!" **

Roman scoffed, "Don't play hero unless you want to die. Or get bailed out in their case." He paused, "I suppose you do have the luxury of playing hero with their fancy tech."

"He's just trying to save the city and its people." Ruby hotly defended Osamu's action.

"Without proper support." Glynda interrupted, shooting down Ruby's defense. "You're not expected to fight and win against overwhelming odds."

"That's what teams are for," Port added in.

**"All B-Class members have been ordered to join forces with each other to counterattack and crush the fronts one by one. There is certainly great riskiness in B-Class getting caught by the new model if alone." **

**"One by one?!" Osamu didn't seem to register the threat of a Rabbit targeting him. "But then, what will happen to the other places?! To Chika and the other members?!"**

**"The elimination of Trion soldiers will take precedence in the sectors where evacuation isn't progressing." Mini Replica explained. The scene cuts to Chika and Izuho evacuating the civilian population. "It appears you'll return to the sectors where evacuation is going smoothly like with Chika and Natsume afterward." **

**"No way…" He frowned, _'So, in the end. What I did backfire on me?' _He recalled ordering Chika to take shelter with everyone else. **

**But before he could continue with his train of thoughts, a building exploded, startling him. A Rabbit has just punched through the building and caught sight of Osamu. **

"Oh, no." Jaune swallowed.

"Should had run away when you had a chance." Roman casually shrugged.

**"A new Trion soldier?!" Osamu raised his weapon expanding it into a shield, "Shield mode!"**

**The Rabbit leaped down and pinned Osamu into the ground. It raised an arm that started to glow brightly. **

**"Boost. Quinti." Yuma shot through the air with his personal Black Trigger. **

**A large glyph rotating in the back and delivered a powerful kick at the Rabbit, heavily cracking its entire body, sending it bouncing into the pavements several times. **

Mercury clapped loudly and grinned, "Nice kick! Very nice kick!"

"He's a miniature powerhouse, just like Nora." Pyrrha glanced at her redhead friend.

"Haha! Yeah!"

"He looks different than before," Fox observed.

**"Kuga!" Osamu breathed, "You…"**

**"Wow. It sure is hard." Yuma shook his legs. With his Black Trigger activated, his uniform was of a different variety that is completely different from Border's uniform. **

**"You were told not to use the Black Trigger, weren't you?" Osamu asked, "With this, Branch Chief Rindou, or I won't be able to defend you anymore." **

"Seriously? That's what you care about at this time?" Blake deadpanned.

Qrow grunted, "Sounds bureaucratic."

"Let's see if there's an explanation for that." Ozpin reserved his judgment, understanding that combat restrictions are typically in place for a very good reason.

**Yuma glanced at his friend, "Still, at this rate, Chika will end up in danger won't she?" Yuma's statement hit Osamu hard. "This ain't the time to hold grudges. I'll put an end to all this in one fell swoop."**

**Two Trion bullets were suddenly fired out of nowhere, directed at Yuma. Surprised, but not caught off guard, Yuma blocked the bullets with his arms. **

**"Wha?" Osamu turned his head towards the attacker, only to see it was two Border agents from Chano's unit that had fired the shot. **

"Why are they attacking him?!" Ruby angrily fumed, "What's with all these friendly fires?!"

**"I hit him!" One of them shouted. "I knew it! This guy ain't from Border! He's a humanoid Neighbor!" **

**"Headquarters! Chano's unit speaking! We're currently fighting a humanoid Neighbor!"**

**"Hey! Four-eyes! Hurry up and run away!" They yelled at Osamu. **

Yang frowned, "They're mistaking him for the enemy?"

"His uniform." Ironwood pointed out, "It's different than theirs, and he is utilizing a trigger that appears to function completely different than theirs."

"Still, this is the worst time for misidentification," Clover said gravely.

**"What? You're mistaking…!" He tried to protest, but it was ignored.**

**"Let's turn this guy into swiss cheese!" But before they could attack, the Rabbit that Yuma had kicked away earlier loomed over them. **

**Osamu's eyes widened, "Wait!" **

"Always. Watch. Your. Surroundings." Glynda punctuated for great emphasis, "Especially if your attention is focused on something else."

"Y-yes. Professor Goodwitch." The students shivered from her harsh tone.

**The Rabbit punched them into the ground and grabbed one of them with its only functional arm. **

**"Fuck! A new model!" **

**"They're being eaten!" Osamu rushed up but was beaten as another squad arrived to take care of the Rabbit. **

**A hail of bullets struck the Rabbit. One of the bullets penetrated through its already damaged armor, hitting its 'eye'. The Rabbit begins to power down as Trion stemmed out of its body, crashing into the floor. **

**"Target silenced!"**

**Osamu looked relieved at the sight of a familiar face. "A- Arashiyama!"**

"Finally. One of those Rabbits went down." Marrow rolled his eyes slightly, "I think we could have done a better job with those things."

"I wouldn't be too sure about that," Vine mumbled. If they were to encounter something like that in Remnant and without any intel, they probably would be having a slightly difficult time neutralizing it.

**Arashiyama nodded, "Mikumo! Are you alright?"**

**"Arashiyama! He's a humanoid Neighbor!" Chano picked himself up and pointed at Yuma. **

**"Calm down, Chano. He's an ally." Arashiyama cleared up the misunderstanding.**

**"An ally?" **

"He's one of those Neighbors?" Yang raised an eyebrow, "Come to think of it, he does have a different colored hair and eyes compared to the others."

_"He is. Although, he does not hail from Aftokrator."_

**Arashiyama's squad jumped down from the roof to address the situation. **

**"Thank you for helping me, Tokieda." Yuma thanked a boy with a bob cut.**

**The boy in question raised an eyebrow at Yuma's appearance, "Huh? Did you always look like this in your gear?"**

**"That's because he has a Black Trigger, Tokieda." The female of the unit, Kitora Ai explained. "That aside, did Commander Shirei grant you license for its use?"**

**"Of course, he didn't, but…" Yuma motioned at several Marmots charging towards them. "Well. We're in the middle of a crisis here." **

Qrow pointed at Yuma, "Kid's got a point. A very good point."

"Speaking of triggers… What is this Black Trigger?" Pietro asked, "It sounds quite valuable. Perhaps, even dangerous."

_"A Black Trigger is an extremely powerful Trigger created by its wielder. The process of creating such a tool comes at a great cost, however. The user must have a high amount of Trion levels and is required to pour all their life and Trion into their trigger, resulting in their demise in the process." _Several of the students gasped at the prospect of trading life to create a powerful weapon. _"Furthermore, a Black Trigger needs to be compatible with a user sharing a similar personality, or it cannot be activated. These triggers are very valuable and have singlehandedly turned the tide of war numerous times."_

"Oh my…"

"A powerful weapon created from the life of another." Cinder hummed, "Interesting."

"A hefty cost," Ozpin said sadly.

**All Border agents turned their attention to the onrush of Trion soldiers while Arashiyama called in to give an update on their situation. **

**"Headquarters! Arashiyama's unit speaking! We eliminated one new model! Moving on to our next target to diminish the number of Trion soldiers!" Arashiyama quieted as he heard only radio static in response. "Headquarters?" He pressed on his headpiece with a frown.**

**_"Counterattack with the cannons… BZZT!" _**

**_"Closing in…!"_**

**Arashiyama's eyes widen and snapped his head towards HQ. The air above HQ was lit up with explosive shells as Border tried to prevent two giant fish-like Trion soldiers known as an Ilgar, from suicide-bombing their base.**

**Kitora drew in a deep breath. "They're…!"**

**"A bombing Trion soldier! An Ilgar!" Osamu gasped. **

Winter drew in a sharp breath, "Their headquarters is under attack."

"Ilgar… Ilgar." Cinder rolled her tongue as she pronounced the name and wrote it down along with a description. So many things that Salem could make use of.

**Inside HQ, Kinta was activated all of HQ's defense system. "Shoot them down with all available artillery batteries!" **

**One of the Ilgar fell under intense fire, but one of them continued flying towards HQ.**

**"One down! One more still incoming!" Kyoko shouted. **

**"Brace for impact!"**

**The surviving Ilgar slammed into the edge of the base and exploded in bright white light. The blast wave could be felt from miles away. **

"Bright!" Blake and Velvet shielded their eyes.

"Who turned on the lights?" Yang squinted her eyes a fit just to continue keeping her eyes on the screen.

"That was a big kaboom!" Nora threw her hands out to emphasis the giant explosion, before sitting back in her chair with a quieter expression. "I hope they're okay."

"It certainly lives up to its role for bombing things." Robyn rubbed her eyes, "That thing is like a flying tank packed with explosives."

Penny looked uncomfortable, "What a terrifying machine."

"There, there. Penny." Pietro sympathetically patted his daughter's head.

**Chano swallowed, "Did it destroy the base?!" **

**"No…" Arashiyama calmly said as the light died down. **

**The corner of HQ was heavily charred, but the entire base was in one piece. **

"Their base is tough." Elm leaned forward from her seat. "Only burn marks around the area of impact. Not a single dent."

"What did they use to construct their headquarters?" Vine asked the Hosts.

_"It is made from Trion. Trion has many, many uses."_

"How intriguing." Pietro rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

**The personnel inside the base were fine as well, with Kinta slowly peeking his head out from his table. **

**"Looks like investing our efforts in Trion armored enhancement was the right choice." The stout man breathed out, "After what happened with the outer wall being broken through back then and all…"**

"What doesn't kill you, makes you stronger." Qrow took a swig out of his flask and placed it into a cupholder as he cracked his fingers. "If you're smart enough to learn from it, that is."

"Indeed." Ozpin nodded.

**However, they weren't out of the clearing yet.**

**"Second wave incoming!" Kyoko reported upon seeing three more Ilgars flying towards their way. "Three Ilgars!"**

"Incoming!" Nora 'helpfully' exclaimed.

"They can't hear you."

**"How many more hits can the armor endure?!" Shinoda hastily asked. **

**Kinta rubbed the back of his head, "It should be able to withstand one more explosion!" **

"I'd probably be freaking out, seeing three of them coming towards us." Jaune scratched his cheek, admiring Shinoda's leadership and personality. "It's amazing how he's keeping his cool with the entire city and peoples' safety on his shoulder."

"A leader needs to keep their composure in a stressful situation." Ren wisely answered his team leader, "And you've been doing a good job, so far. Maybe on the surface, not so much internally…"

"Jeez, thanks, Ren." He gave Ren a sarcastic smile.

**Shinoda nodded and opened the PA system. "All general staff is to take refuge in the shelter room!" He then turned his attention to their defenses, "Fill the cannons to the brim with Trion! Focus on bombarding! Even only one is fine. Just make sure to shoot it down!"**

**Eizou looked nervous, "No… The armor can take only one…"**

Cinder frowned, "What is he planning?"

**The artillery batteries focused down one of the three Ilgars, but two were left unimpeded. **

**Kinta looked panicked, "General Manager Shinoda! Two explosions won't cut it!"**

**Shinoda was calm. "No problem. There is only one left." **

"Wait, what?" Ruby looked confused.

**The leading Ilgar suddenly fell apart. Its thick armor was somehow cleanly sliced through. **

"Woooow…" Sun's jaws dropped.

"W-what happened?" Oscar stammered, "Did I miss something?"

**Eizou and Kinta's jaws dropped before seeing who was responsible for saving their base. **

**"Tachikawa!" They exclaimed upon seeing the young man named Kei Tachikawa soaring through the Ilgar with his dual katanas. **

"Looks like he's the one responsible for saving their butts." Coco whistled, "He must have some crazy strength and a very sharp sword to cut that thing cleanly."

"So, cool!" Ruby gasped in awe. "I want a glowing blade that can cut things cleanly on my baby!"

**"The other one will hit us directly!" Kyoko snapped them back to reality. "Please brace yourself for impact!"**

**The entire base rumbled, scattering chairs, nearly knocking Kinta off his seat as the Ilgar self-destructed on top of their base.**

**"Any damages?!" Shinoda asked.**

**"None are present!"**

**"Great, repair the outer wall at once! We'll be staying on full alert for the next wave! Kei! Your opponent is the new model. Just focus on taking them down as much as you can!"**

"They can repair their walls in this current situation. Trion is truly something of a wonder to behold." Pietro dreamily sighed.

"It does sound convenient," Ironwood nodded, "but from what we gathered so far, Trion comes for living things. Similar to aura…"

_"There are other ways of obtaining Trion without harvesting them from their population or other worlds. One of the main methods of obtaining Trion is substantial, non-fatal amount of Trion donations, or salvaging from Trion constructs such as from the Trion soldiers."_

**Falling from the sky, Kei smugly smiled and nodded. "Copy that, sir. Guess I gotta dispose of them quickly so I can continue my lunch."**

**The focus shifts back to Arashiyama's and Chano's unit joined by Yuma and Osamu. **

**"The base is alright!" Arashiyama said to his allies. "Tachikawa brought down a bombing Trion soldier."**

**"Tachikawa?" Yuma looked slightly interested, "The person that uses the Kogetsu and was Jin's rival, right?"**

**"He's an A-Rank Border agent." Said Osamu.**

**"So, he managed to bring down a self-destructing Ilgar? And with an ordinary trigger to boot. Terrific." Yuma praised. **

**"If you say that then he really must be awesome, right Kuga?" **

**"Yep. You know, the self-destructing mode is kind of a pain to deal with." Yuma shrugged, "Still, bring them down like I did before might be much easier." **

"Pipsqueak is many cuts above his peers," Vernal remarked, able to differentiate Yuma by combat experiences. "He's been through a lot, I can tell."

"Someone that young shouldn't be experiencing such hardship," Glynda said sadly.

Raven and Vernal snorted but didn't say anything.

**"Arashiyama's unit." Shinoda's voice suddenly went live on their comms. "Sorry about the comms lapping into chaos. I assume you brought down the new models?"**

**"As expected of Arashiyama's unit." Eizou clasped his hand tightly, trying to relieve some stress. "You sure are the first to arrive to suppress the new models."**

**Arashiyama shook his head, refusing to take full credit. "No. When we arrived, Kuga and Osamu, two members of Tamakoma's had already begun engaging. My unit only took the new model out seeing it had already received considerable damage."**

**"Tamakoma? So, it was the Black Trigger then." Kinta mused upon remembering the 'humanoid Neighbor' report. **

**"I understand now." Shinoda hummed, "So, the comment about a humanoid Neighbor must have referred to Yuma then?"**

"Resolving any communications is key in ensuring the overall operation doesn't become impeded by complications. Especially when you've mistakenly misidentified an ally." Said Vine.

"Wouldn't want to bombard an ally's position, now would we?" Marrow joked.

**"General Manager Shinoda!" Osamu cut in, "Tamakoma Branch, Mikumo speaking! Please let us go and protect the C-Class members!" **

**Shinoda raised an eyebrow, "The C-Class members?" **

"Those are the trainees if I could remember," Tai commented.

**"I heard that the self-defense clause would only apply later for when the sectors are currently evacuating! Our teammate is currently in one of these sectors!" **

**The General Manager rubbed his chin, "Is that so? Alright, got it. You Tamakoma members will be allowed to take a different course of action."**

**"Wait." Kido interrupted, "Only Mikumo will be going to protect the C-Class members. Kuga is to stay here." **

**"Eh?!" That surprised Osamu.**

"They're going to split them apart?" Ruby frowned, "Aren't they partners? Why would they do that?"

"That should have been obvious." Weiss sighed, nudging her team leader. "He has a Black Trigger, and if you didn't recall what our Hosts said, it's extremely valuable and powerful."

**"If Kuga chooses to fight with the Black Trigger, then there is a great risk in causing mayhem among the other members and citizens." Kido logically explained, letting them recall how Chano's unit misidentified Yuma as a hostile. "Much like what happened when Chano's unit mistook him for a hostile Neighbor. As such, I cannot allow him to go to town areas. Kuga is to move together with Arashiyama's unit and eliminate the Trion soldiers in the danger zone."**

"He does have a point…" Neptune muttered.

"But couldn't they just stick him with someone in uniform and say he's an ally?" Sun scratched his head.

"Hard to say."

**Shinoda turned to his superior to protest, "However, with this…"**

**"The Black Trigger is a valuable asset to us as it can oppose the new models. We don't have the luxury to allow him to play around." Kido refuted, "I shall exceptionally permit you arbitrary use of the Black Trigger because this is a time of crisis. However, you'll have to obey my commands."**

**"… So, I could accompany Osamu if I don't use the Black Trigger. Is that it?" Yuma squared off against Kido. **

"Now is not the time to fight among yourself." Winter shook her head, much to her chagrin.

Qrow stared at the specialist, "You're the one to talk."

"You're the one drunk."

Ironwood broke them apart. "That's enough you two."

"That was entertaining." Chuckled Robyn.

**"This is but a meaningless assumption." Kido replied emotionlessly, "If the situation asks for it, I know you'll use the Black Trigger. That's the type of person you are." His eyes remained stilled and calculating, "You really resemble your father."**

**"…"**

**Before Yuma could reply, Kyoko interrupted their session with a warning. "We just got two new of the new model Trion soldiers!"**

**"Swarm of Trion soldiers invading!" **

**"They're breaking through the danger zone!"**

**The radio chattered quickly became frantic as Border agents are struggling to deal with the new Trion soldiers. **

"Time is of the essence." Ozpin said firmly, "They don't have the luxury to bicker amongst themselves."

"Agreed," Ironwood grunted.

**"Haven't the B-Class member combined forces yet?! We won't be able to stop their advance infinitely!" **

**Osamu looked conflicted as he wanted Yuma to go with him, but what's at stake cannot be overstated. If he stayed behind along with Arashiyama's unit and Yuma or joined forces with the rest of the B-Class units…**

**_'It's possible there are new models in that group of Trion soldiers. Can I really stop them using my own power?'_**

Harriet sneered, "Don't be selfish."

"Easy now, Harriet." Clover cautioned, "He's still young and cares a lot about his friends."

**"Go, Osamu." Yuma commanded, "I told Chika 'one of us will definitely come to your help if you're in danger'. I'm leaving it to you."**

**"… Got it." He clutched his Raygust and solidified his resolve to see this through.**

"His friend managed to talk some sense into him." Tai smiled, remembering how Qrow helped push him through hard times.

**Kitora walked up to her team leader. "Arashiyama. Please allow me to accompany Mikumo." Her request came to a surprise to everyone. "I am indebted to the two of them." **

**"Kitora…!" Osamu was shocked and relieved at the same time. Kitora is a skilled Border agent. She isn't classified as an A-Class agent for nothing. **

**"Got it." Arashiyama smiled, "Protect the citizens for us too." He pressed on his headpiece to let HQ in on their little adjustment. "It doesn't bother you, right? General Manager Shinoda."**

**Shinoda relaxed and crossed his arms with a smile, "No problems. I'll leave it up to your judgment." His attention shifted over Chano's unit. "Alright, Chano's unit. You are to join the B-Class units combined forces." **

**"Roger!" They saluted.**

**"As for us, we'll eliminate the Trion soldiers inside the danger zone." Arashiyama cocked his gun with a grin. "We'll primarily focus on the new models." **

**"Roger!" Tokieda and Yuma acknowledged their new orders.**

**"Kitora and Osamu will protect the C-Class units." **

**They drew their weapons. "Roger!" **

**With their mission parameters set, the group split up and went their separate ways. **

"You're liking this, aren't you Jimmy?" Qrow asked the Atlesian general who had a smile on his face.

Ironwood grinned, "Very much so. And you, Qrow?"

He shrugged, "Eh. Could have been worse."

**"It's quite reassuring knowing Kitora will guard the town areas," Eizou said approvingly. A reliable A-Class Border agent will certainly make things easier should anything goes awry there. **

**Kinta nodded, "Making the Black Trigger user our ally is quite promising too." **

"They remind me too much of bureaucrats and corporate executives…" Robyn had her fair share of dealing with the likes of them. Always image, reputation, profit, or power.

Qrow toasted once more in her direction. "You said it."

**Silently pondering, Shinoda was left wondering about something. _'I thought for sure the enemy would try once more to deal a heavy blow to the base… So why aren't they pursuing this plan?' _He had his suspicions, but nothing concrete. _'Have the attacking side used up all their bombing Trion soldiers? They've even released new models in sporadic numbers. I still can't perceive the enemy's true objective.'_**

**/-/**

**"Why ain't we dealing' 'em the final blow!?" Enedora asked loudly, "Two or three more explosions, and that base would have been a goner!"**

"Yeah. Why didn't they do that?" Asked Emerald, though her question would soon be answered.

**"Pointlessly driving the enemy into a corner would make us go through a bitter experience." Hyuse sneered, "Don't you even understand that much?"**

"By driving their enemies into a corner, they'll have nothing left to lose." Cinder coolly explained to Emerald, "A cornered rat will fight viciously."

Emerald nodded, "I get it now."

**"Like I give a rat's ass about some small fry's theory. Killing the enemy when we can is fine enough, ain't it?"**

**"Attacking with the Ilgars was only to confuse the enemy and uncover its assets." Hairein rationalized, "Our object isn't either to capture nor to control Miden."**

"Then what is their objective?" Ruby asked to no one in particular.

"Making them use all their assets?" Jaune answered, "I mean, the captain guy said that…"

"We'll have to wait and see, Mr. Arc and Miss Rose." Said Glynda.

**The scene shifts over to Chika and Izuho, along with several other C-Class Border agents getting civilians safety to their shelters. **

**In the distance, the sound of roaring Trion soldiers and deafening explosions could be heard by Chika and Izuho despite being a safe distance from the danger zone. **

**"Ugh. The sounds are creepin' me out." Izuho observed, "And it even shone intensely around the base moments ago. Wonder if everything's goin' well…"**

**Chika opened her palm and listened to what the miniature Replica has to say regarding Yuma and Osamu. "It's fine. Osamu and Kuga… No, the regular members are fighting after all. Let's just do whatever we can, kay?"**

**"Okay," Izuho rotated her arms to loosen up the tension around her arm. "I'm still good to go at it!"**

**"'Relief priority will be given to the sectors where evacuation isn't progressing'?" A unit of three C-Class Border agents read over HQ's proclamation. "That's the same as saying we've been put off, ain't it?!" **

**"So, we hard-working people are out of pocket. Insane… That's definitely screwed up!" **

Winter narrowed her eyes, "There's discontent amongst their own rank."

"That's a very dangerous scenario." Ironwood sighed, "It can't be helped considering how young they are."

"Young, brash, and reckless." Glynda rubbed her forehead in irritation, having dealt with numerous students with those three traits.

**Their leader scoffed, "It's like we're 'heroes subjected to a trial', huh?" Said their leader, calmly drinking from a soda can. "To us, being told Neighbors are coming just means we can leave our names in Border's records with this war, right?" **

**"Leader, but…!" They gulped, "We won't only be facing Trion soldiers made for capturing civilians, but also fighting ones and even these new models rumored to be dangerous even for the regular members!"**

**"Then if we do meet some, let's just strategically withdraw." If it comes to that, they'll be leaving the other C-Class units and civilians to fend for themselves. "Sure, third rate people will thoughtlessly put their life on the line. But first-rate people gotta look at the whole situation, then cope with it cleverly, right?" **

**"Genius!"**

**"We'll follow your lead, leader!" They praised.**

An angry growled escaped from Glynda. "Border must not have screened their agents properly."

"Well, he has the right idea." Roman laughed, "Stupid. But the right idea."

"Abandoning their teammates and the people they swore to protect isn't the right idea." Maria hissed. Part of her statement was also directed at herself, for being selfish back when she was younger.

A huntsman is supposed to defend the people until the end. Though these Border agents might not have the same standards. Regardless, it is a dick move.

"There's nothing with trying to survive," Raven said darkly.

**/-/**

**Heavy fighting continued to take place within the danger zone of Mikado City. One of the B-Class units from the Suzunari branch was having a difficult time regrouping with their allies as faced off against a Rabbit. **

**"B-Class members are all converging to the place Azuma's at, but there's no way for us to combine forces with this thing standing in our way!" **

**"I'll draw its attention." Kou calmly said, "So please Kuruma. Combine forces with the other B-Class units along with Taichi." **

**Tachi is their sniper who was forced out of position by the Trion soldier. He now stands on top of a roof near his teammates, ready to provide covering fire. **

**"Eh?! What will you do by yourself?" Kuruma asked. **

**"I'll face it until the A-Class agents arrive. Don't worry, I won't do anything reckless." Kou drew and activated his second sword, "I understand what my duty is."**

"Buying his teammates and reinforcement time in the face of a dangerous adversary. Quite a brave fellow he is." Port wished the young lad luck. He will need it.

"Playing hero is a great way to get yourself killed," Roman mumbled.

**The camera changes perspective to Kazama's unit, standing over a now non-functional Rabbit. **

"That's a second one down." Coco whistled softly, "And it looks like they gave it a brutal death."

**"Heh! Looks like Arashiyama's unit defeated a new model before us." Kikuchiara lowered himself to inspect the Rabbit up close. Two short swords were embedded into the Rabbit's 'eye' that put an end to the Trion soldier. "It's because the two of you are too cautious. I'd understand if it were one-on-one but c'mon. Did you really think we'd ever lose against one with the three of us?"**

**"We aren't competing against the other or anything, you know?" Kazama rebuffed. **

"Glad to see their leader is rational." Weiss sighed, wishing her team leader could be just a bit as rational as the one on-screen.

Winter nodded, "Agreed. Their situation isn't a game or competition."

**"Suwa is nowhere to be found in its abdomen." Utagawa held up a white glowing cube. "The only thing there was this cube." **

**"Is that so?" **

"What is that?" Jaune asked.

_"That is Trion."_

"Oh."

"Pretty…" Nora whispered.

**"Unless we think as the inside of the new models as being a gate, then the only other valid explanation would be to consider that Suwa has been entirely compressed into this cube." **

**Kazama had a thoughtful look, "Call Sasamori and Tsutsumi. Let's have the cube analyzed by the engineers at headquarters." **

"Is that possible?" Pietro asked the Hosts, "For a person to be compressed into that shape and form?"

_"It is. Suwa's Trion body has been hijacked and altered into the form you see there."_

Coco shivered, "Ugh. That sounds scary."

Ren agreed, "No kidding."

**"I hope he's alive though…" Kikuchiara tactlessly said.**

**"Come on, man." Utagawa sighed.**

Mercury laughed at Kikuchiara's blunt statement, "Someone sure is insensitive."

**"We've been prey of incessant attacks before, but is Headquarters fine?" Asked Kikuchiara.**

**"No problems at Headquarters currently. Touma and Tachikawa are over there bidding their time. We've even got General Manager Shinoda there if it comes down to it. And way… If the situation becomes dangerous, he'll make his move." **

**/-/**

**"Whoa, whoa." Jin walked through a cleared-out area of the city. The area was filled with buildings and roadworks not long ago. "You've completely leveled the place, haven't ya?" He said to his co-worker. "Amou."**

**S- Class Border agent Amou Tsukihito sat near a large crater he had created. There was nothing around the area. Even the skies were purged of the black clouds leaving clear blue skies and the sun to shine down on the area as if it was mourning the place.**

"What happened there?" Robyn said with shock, "The entire area looked like its been hit with bombarded a thousand times."

"Even the skies have been cleared of those black clouds…" Clover observed with piquing curiosity.

**"Jin…" Amou greeted him.**

**"Seriously man, hold back some, won't ya?" **

**"No shit, it's a pain in the ass," Amou replied, clearly irritated. "Every one of them has a dull color. They're only small fries. How can I get in the mood with something like this?" **

"What is he even talking about?" Weiss sighed, "Are most people in this Border organization weird?"

"Maybe it's because you're a bit stuck up," Yang suggested, earning a few grunts of support from Robyn, Qrow, Blake, and Roman.

"Quiet, you."

_"To answer your question, Miss Schnee. When a person possesses high Trion levels, they begin to manifest an ability known as a Side Effect. These Side Effects range from enhanced physical to extrasensory abilities."_

"In other words, it's similar to a semblance?" Ozpin inquired.

_"That is correct. Amou, for example, can measure an opponent's strength by the color they emit. Jin can see bits of the future of those before him."_

"Whoa, he can see the future?" Nora gasped, "Is he a fortune-teller? An oracle?"

_"Not without certain restrictions. Shall we continue?"_

**"I get it." Jin sighed, "Anyway, I'm glad you've got room to spare. Sorry, but take care of my area for me? It's the west of the base."**

**"No way… Why would I?"**

**"Well… The enemy will start going all out anytime now. And I guess even I'll have to get moving too, you know." **

"Having an ability to predict the future is a powerful ability," Qrow said with an envious tone. Meanwhile, he's stuck with a semblance that brings misfortune.

Ozpin calmly drank from his mug. "Indeed."

**/-/**

**Osamu and Kitora leaped over the rooftops of the desert home buildings, watching the Trion soldiers tore through the empty residential area. **

**"It's crawling with Trion soldiers all over the place" **

**"They're even more numerous than when the first invasion took place." Kitora acknowledged that the situation was dire. **

**"I do not understand." Said a miniature Replica, floating near Osamu. "I wonder why they're investing so many forces in assaulting this world. What a mystery that is." **

**Kitora snapped her head towards the voice. "What's that? A communication trigger?"**

**"Nice to meet you, Kitora. My name is Replica, I'm Yuma's overseer." He introduced himself. **

**"Overseer?" **

**Osamu briefly filled her in on the details, "You see, Replica came here while traveling with Yuma. So, he's well-informed on Neighbors."**

"Having intel on your enemies will greatly affect the outcomes." Ironwood nodded. Running both Atlas Academy and Atlas Military requires a lot of those.

"I couldn't have agreed more."

**"In other words, you're a trigger related to Kuga, huh? Also, you were saying you couldn't understand the enemy's intent. But what about it exactly?"**

**"I tried analyzing that Rabbit from before and discovered a considerable amount of Trion had been put to use in its body." Replica explained, "Adding up the other Trion soldiers used adds up to an enormous cost. Investing so much Trion to attack this world would mean having their homeland's defense become insufficient. Avoiding such a situation is usually the norm." The friendly Trion soldier continued, "There is also the fact the invested forces are expressly dispersed without focus and that this is done even at the expense of their country insufficiently guarded. I just cannot perceive the intended applications of this."**

"Cannot perceive what and what now?" Nora scratched her head, feeling Replica's word buzz out of her brain.

"He's saying that the enemy has left their country poorly defended by taking and losing a multitude of their Trion soldiers," Winter explained to the explosive hammer-wielding, huntress-in-training. "If what he said is true, then something is off."

"It's always a cat and mouse game when trying to guess the enemy's intent." Qrow grunted, "But I gotta agree with the Ice Queen here. Something is off the way these guys planned their assault."

**Kitora caught on to what Replica was saying. "You're talking about the enemy's aim, but it's already a given, isn't it? The enemy is dispersing its forces and waiting for us to take measures against that to better capture trigger users with new models when the soldiers are defeated, isn't that right? The enemy aims to readily and steadily capture trigger users. General Manager Shinoda had the dispersed B-Class agents combine to prevent that." **

**"This is indeed possible." Replica agreed, "However, Border has the bail-out function. So, if the members were to be thorough in bailing out before being caught, then in the most extreme case, the number of casualties could be strictly limited to zero." He continued his argument, "Do you think the enemy that conducted reconnaissance with the Rads wouldn't know of this before coming to attack and overlook something as simple as that?"**

"The enemy. Aftokrator had conducted reconnaissance and considered their opponents' potential, including the escape function they had installed into their trigger." Clover cupped his chin thoughtfully, "Which is possibly why they have the new models in used to capture the trigger users, should they have been caught. However, once the element of surprised over…"

"Then any agent who can't handle a fight will bail and escaped before these Rabbits can get their paws on them." Qrow finished, "Mini glob of purple is right. No one with half a brain can overlook that. And their captain… Hairein or whatever doesn't look like an incompetent guy."

"The mysterious deepens." Robyn sat straighter in her seat, slightly invested.

**Replica went on, "The Trion soldiers dispersed in all directions. The members captured by the Rabbits, as well as the bombing raid on Border's Headquarters. I have a feeling that the enemy's true aim is hiding in the shade of all these actions." **

**"The enemy's true aim? Are you telling us that even the bombing raid on the base was nothing more than a sham?!" Osamu asked. **

"It obviously was. To us, that is." Sun paused, "Cause, you know… We're watching both sides here."

**"Had they been intent on making headquarters fall, then it would undoubtedly have already fallen." The amount of Trion soldiers the enemies could use could have easily taken out the Border's base, and Replica knows that. "However, this wouldn't have been a really good move for them. They probably fear that a Black Trigger could be created if they drive us too much into a corner."**

**"…!" Kitora and Osamu looked surprised by that revelation. **

Ozpin nodded, "Desperation does a lot of things. Especially if it's affecting an entire nation."

"Nothing more dangerous than an entire country that's operating under desperation." Mantle and to an extension, Atlas, was once placed in a similar situation during its founding. Their technological advancement was due to their need to perfect the art of utilizing Dust to survive the harsh cold and the Creatures of Grimm.

**"Being forced to a corner would cause people to resist and willing to lay down their lives." Replica said darkly, "In the past, it was common for the invading country to be routed by a counterattack from a Black Trigger when they saw victory close at hand. It is extremely easy for the invading forces to topple over, especially when an expedition without supplies is concerned."**

"History repeats itself if we don't learn from it." Oobleck pushed up his glasses, "It would so appear that they learned from others or their own mistakes, not to push a country or world into desperation."

Port twirled his mustache. "Still, these Black Triggers sound very powerful for it to turn back the tide of a losing war."

**"In other words, the humanoid Neighbors might not be taking part in the battle?" **

**"Sorry, but we'll have to stop there with the talking." Kitora interrupted them as she placed a finger on her headpiece. "Trion soldiers have invaded the Southwest sector."**

**A Bamster lumbered through the Southwest sector, chasing after civilians with its large frame, forcing the C-Class members to retreat and escort the civilians.**

"It's almost like Grimm attacking a town or village." Velvet quietly prayed for the wellbeing of the citizens and Border agents there.

"That thing is massive." Jaune gulped when he saw the size of the Bamster.

"Not as large as an old Goliath." Port commented, "They're titanic."

**"Grrrr! Enouuuuugh!" Izuho shouted, looking like she wanted to fight the Trion soldier. "They're freakin' invadin' us! Look!" **

**Chika disagreed, helping a little girl towards the evacuation group. "Let's hurry and bring the people that failed to escape to the shelter!"**

**"Bird battle formation. Vizofnil!" Three C-Class Border agents leaped at the Bamster and shattered its 'eye' in a combined attack. The Bamster straightened up before collapsing into the ground, having its main component destroyed. "Good grief, guess it ain't really to say… C-Class members are forbidden to fight, ain't it?" **

Oscar blinked, "That was easy to kill."

"Those eyes of theirs must be the central processing unit." Penny guessed, looking thoughtful. "Damaging them is a sure way to ensure their deactivation."

"Why didn't they put them inside instead of making them the eyes?"

"That's a mighty fine question, young man." Pietro took off his hat to scratch his head, "There must be an engineering logic behind having its 'eyes' as a visual receptor that's also burdened as a weak spot."

"Do you have any ideas, father?" Penny asked.

The man shook his head, "Trion engineering is difficult for me to understand with my current comprehension."

**Their cocky attitudes quickly fell when they heard something creaking out of the Bamster. A dark-colored Rabbit with a single red eye lifted the slack jaws of the Bamster and stepped out into the open. It appeared to have some sort of air proposal systems on its shoulder and looked much more menacing compared to its plainer, white-colored Rabbit models.**

**Everyone gulped as it stared at them. **

**"Eh…?"**

**"What…?"**

Clover narrowed his eyes, "It has a different appearance than the ones we saw so far."

Pyrrha gasped, "This is bad!"

"They're in troubled now," Emerald said without much emotion.

Mercury waved them the trio of idiots' goodbye. "Rest in pieces."

**The sound of fighting caught Osamu and Kitora's attention. "Over there! Let's go! I'll be relying on you, Kitora!" **

**"You better not drag me down, you hear me!" She bantered.**

**Back to the C-Class agents, they stood there, frozen. **

**"Wha… What's with that thing?" One of them asked.**

**"Looks kinda dangerous, doesn't it?" **

**Their leader composed himself and tried to put out a confident grin. "Damn right. That's exactly what my institution as a veteran of many battles tells me…"**

**Whatever nonsense was coming out of their leader's mouth was cut short as the dark-colored Rabbit lifted its face and fired a powerful laser beam out of its eyes, blowing the cannon fodders into the air. **

**"AACK!" Miraculously, they were only slightly bruised.**

**They quickly got to their feet and began to flee. "R-r-retreat! Retreat strategically!" **

"Idiots." Raven scoffed.

Sun's eyes widened, "It can fire laser beams from its eye?"

"So, that's why it was colored and shape differently." Jaune put two and two together, in a sense. "It has a different ability! We haven't seen the other Rabbits shoot lasers from their eyes before!"

Glynda had a grave look on her face. "That appears to be the case."

**The rest of the C-Class agents begin to panic as well, "The Trion soldiers are here!"**

**"Runaway!" **

**The Rabbit readjusted its aim and charged up its laser eyebeam once more. **

**"Crap!" Izuho cursed. **

**Before it could fire once more, a white sharp heel came crashing down on the Rabbit's head, temporarily stunning it. Kitora and Osamu had arrived just in time. **

**"This is… Arashiyama's unit! Kitora of Arashiyama's unit!" They recognized Kitora. The Arashiyama's unit is popular after all. "As well as that four eyes Midorikawa recently defeated!"**

**"Osamu!" Chika exclaimed.**

**"Four eyes mister!" Izuho added in his well-known nickname. **

Velvet felt relieved, "They got there on time."

"They're still in trouble." Yatsuhashi's entire body was tensed, "This Trion soldier possesses incredible strength and speed, along with a long-range capability. It's much more dangerous than the ones they've encountered so far."

**"Arashiyama's unit? Of all things… To think the mascot team would be the one to come here." With the Arashiyama's unit here, their 'rise to fame' will greatly be stunted. **

**Kitora carefully analyzed the Rabbit. "The color of the new model is different from the one before."**

**"Yup." Osamu nodded, "And even its shape is slightly different…" Behind them, a Marmot crashed through a house gate, setting its sight on the C-Class agents and civilians. "It's a Marmot! Seriously, coming at such a troublesome time too!" **

"They're breaking through!" Tai clenched his armrest tightly. It's like watching the students at Signal Academy, most of whom are getting the hang of dedicated combat, face off against a Beringel on steroids.

**"Go. Protect them Mikumo. I'll take down that new model." Kitora said confidentially. **

**"Are you plan to fight the new model by yourself?!" He asked her incredulously.**

"She's going to solo it?" Sun frowned, "I don't think that's a good idea."

Robyn leaned on her arm with a harsh look, "They don't have much of a choice, not without risking the civilians and the trainees."

**"Well, it wouldn't make much of a difference even with the two of us against it, would it?" She calmly stepped towards the Rabbit, "I'm entrusting that Marmot to you. Show me how much you've changed." **

**"… Got it!" **

**With one hand on her double sword and another on her pistol, Kitora radioed HQ regarding her situation. "Headquarters, Kitora speaking. I'm engaging another new model." **

**Meanwhile, Osamu ran towards the Marmot and blocked its path. His Raygust extended out in its greatsword form.**

**"Look! It's Mikumo! He came back to us!" One of his classmates pointed.**

**Osamu stood his ground, sweating. _'I haven't had a real fight one-on-one against a Marmot… Without Kuga or Arashiyama backing me up in battle.' _He composed his thoughts as the Marmot came closer. **

Jaune nudged his partner and whispered. "He sounds just like me when I go up against lager sized Grimm."

"You've improved, exponentially," Pyrrha whispered back, smiling brightly as she turned her attention back to the screen. "And I think he has too."

**Without warning, Osamu changed his Raygust into a shield and summoned a glowing Rubik-like cube called Meteor and unleashed a barrage of Trion bullets at the Marmot. However, all of the Meteor's shot was blocked by the Marmot's blade or rendered inert against its armor. **

"What was that Rubik's cube shooty thing?" Ruby's eyes were sparkling brightly.

_"It is a Gunner Trigger called a Meteor. It can fire explosive projectiles." _Answered the Hosts.

"That looked cool! The way he summoned one from his hand! Do we have technology that can do that?!"

"Not quite the same he had done it." Pietro chuckled, "But it wouldn't hurt to look into it, now would it?"

**_'At first sight, the movements of Trion soldiers can be seen to be animal-like, but in reality, they are acts that follow a program. Selecting actions that depend on what fits the situation best. Their movements are ones that make sense.'_**

"Like a robot, which it is." Neptune said with a thoughtful look, "So, it's predictable. Even though it acts like a wild, feral creature, it's masking logical outputs underneath that."

"Which means it can be exploited." Jaune realized.

**Osamu sighed, "That's what training exists for." He took a step back before dashing towards the Marmot head-on. "Stealth on!" The Marmot's blade missed Osamu by an inch before the boy disappeared, causing the Marmot to pause. This allowed Osamu to disengage his cloaking device and sliced through the Marmot's blades. He twirled in the air and came roaring down, "One more slash!" **

**Letting out the fiercest battlecry he could muster, Osamu's heavy blade cleaved into the Marmot, cutting into its eye, killing it. **

**"He did it!" Izuho exclaimed.**

Tai clapped, "Nice! He managed to pull it off."

"Cloaking devices, Rubik's cube bullets, giant solid light sword, and shield…" Ruby drooled, "I want some…"

"Aw, gross! Rubes, wipe your mouth."

**"Great…!" Osamu took a deep breath and smiled before remembering Kitora was facing off against a Rabbit solo. _'No. It's not over yet. I gotta go help Kitora!' _He quickly sprinted towards the block's corner where Kitora was and was surprised by what he saw. "What is this?!"**

**The Rabbit was surrounded by heavy Trion wires with Kitora bouncing off of them acrobatically. Wielding her heavy pistol, Kitora fired powerful shots at all angles, forcing the Rabbit on the defensive.**

"Whoa, look at her go!" Sun said in awe.

"She managed to get the thing on the defensive with just a pistol and some wires." Qrow whistled, clearly impressed after seeing what the Rabbits were capable of. "And she's closing in for the kill as well."

Clover nodded, "She's innovated. A very useful skill to have out on the field."

**"W-what's with those moves?!" **

**"Awesome!" **

**"She's totally beating the hell out of that Trion soldier!" Izuho looked on with awe. "See Chika. A-Class are monsters after all!" **

**"She's fast." Osamu acknowledged.**

**"There aren't any openings to help her." Mini Replica noted.**

**"Osamu!" **

**"Four-eye mister." Chika and Izuho came running to him. **

**"Chika! Natsume! It's dangerous! Evacuate with everyone else!" **

**"Heh? Even though it looks like she's got this in the bag? Arashiyama's members are strong, ya know." Izuho observed.**

**"Sure, Kitora is indeed powerful, but her opponent is a type she's fighting for the first time." Osamu cautioned, "She doesn't know that it's capable of." **

"Well, don't just stand there." Nora waved her arms, "Go help here!"

Jaune frowned, "If he goes in recklessly, it'll endanger them both."

"He's right." Ren nodded, "He might get in her way and put them at a disadvantage."

"Oh. So, stepping on each other's toes by accident."

"Yup."

**Kitora continued with here blitzing offensive, edging closer and closer to the Rabbit till she's able to manifest her sword and finish it off. **

**But it appeared the Rabbit had adapted to the situation. Its jetpack on its shoulder flared into life and took up into the skies with the force of a hurricane. **

Oscar was taken aback, "It can fly?!"

"So, that's what was on its shoulders!" Pietro slapped himself in the head, "I thought it was a ventilating cooling system for its laser eyebeam, seeing how powerful and explosive it was."

"It's going to try and bombard them from the skies." Harriet predicted, "Damn. These things look troubling to fight against."

**"It flew?!" A C-Class agent yelped. **

**Hovering in the skies, the Rabbit charged up its eyebeam and aimed Kitora. **

**_'It took a higher ground!' _Kitora quickly backed away, "A bombardment! Incoming!"**

**But at the last second, the Rabbit turned its head and fired away from the Border agents, attacking the fleeing civilians and C-Class agents. It may have missed, but it was enough for them to start panicking. Their screams intensified as another explosion went off, destroying a nearby house. **

**"No way!" Kitora cried out in outrage.**

"Oh, no!" Ruby gasped.

"What the hell?!" If her semblance was sealed away in this dimension, Yang's eyes and hair would have been blazing with fury. "Why is it attacking the civilians?!"

Pyrrha hissed angrily, "Audacious!"

**"It's attacking indiscriminately?!" Osamu felt his heartbeat intensifying. At this rate, the civilians will be hurt.**

**"You better go protect the civilians." Mini Replica advised. **

**Kitora snarled, "You fucking clunker! Your opponent is me!" **

**She shot off the ground and swung her sword into the air, intending to stop the Rabbit from continuing its barrage. **

"Not good, her emotions are taking control of her," Port said with a grim expression.

Glynda flinched, "And she can't make rational decisions in that state."

"Especially with her charging in like that," Qrow added.

**The Rabbit turned its attention to her and activated its jetpack thrusters and shot towards her, arms wide. Its jaws snapped shut, protecting its eye from harm as it tackled her with enough force to shatter her sword in two. It continued its offense, grabbing Kitora by the legs and slamming her into the ground, pinning her under while it charged up a shot.**

"Shit!" Coco cursed.

Jaune wrung his hand anxiously, "This is bad, really, really bad."

**Kitora was under distressed, staring at the Rabbit, eye to eye. _'It got me! I failed? It seems I was negligent once again just like back then! I haven't learned anything!' _Quickly collecting herself, she pushed those negative thoughts away and surveyed her surroundings. _'No. I can't afford to think like that now. I'm an A-Class agent!' _**

"She's pulled herself together, but can she react in time?" Cinder mused.

**She pulled out her gun and shot out a wire towards a sturdy utility pole. _'I said I'd take care of it, so I'll take it out!' _Without hesitation, Kitora sliced off her leg that the Rabbit had pinned down and used her gun as a grappling hook, shooting towards the Rabbit just in time to avoid its eyebeam. **

**The Rabbit quickly leaned back, trying to close its jaws to protect its weak spot.**

**"Too late!" She jeered, and kicked her blade into the Rabbit's eye, slicing it in half. **

**The Rabbit tittered over and fell on its back, finally vanquished. **

Yang gulped, "… Whoa. I know that the weapon they use gives you a second body like a virtual reality game avatar, but that's hardcore."

"That's a light way of saying it." Maria's prosthetic eyes were wide as far as they could be.

Coco nodded numbly, "And she one-shot the thing, damn girl."

"It's a decent trade." Mercury whispered to Emerald, "A leg, for a life."

"Like you?"

"Like me."

**The C-Class members cheered at the sight. "Niiiice! She beat it!"**

**"Amazing!"**

**Osamu was still reeling from what just had happened. "She cut her own leg…!"**

**"Awesome… I thought for sure she was done for." Izuho looked very impressed, possibly inspired.**

**While the C-Class agents cheered, several Bado flew overhead, providing visual feedback for their commanders. **

**"Target confirmed." Mira said in a professional tone, "It's a flock of chicks. It appears they've been assigned to help the citizens evaluate." **

**"I get it now." Lamvanein chirped, "They're the reason the baby chicks didn't come out even though their nest was on fire."**

The teachers of the audience all frowned. From headmasters to former combat instructors like Qrow, they all had a horrible sinking feeling the moment Mira confirmed their target. Their targets are the seedlings of the next generations of protectors. It was an equivalent to attacking a primary combat school or Huntsman Academy back in Remnant.

Glynda's horrified expression turned into a frightening scowl. "Don't tell me…"

"I hope not," Ozpin said with a dangerously low tone.

**Back in Mikado City. Kitora supported herself with her sword, telling the C-Class members to continue with the task at hand. **

**"This is no time to make merry. Continue the evacuation without stopping…" She stopped and turned around at the sound of scuttering feet. **

**Three Rads crawled out of the destroyed Rabbit's corpse and propped themselves on the ground. **

Marrow grimaced, "It's those things from the flashbacks."

"Used for reconnaissance." Clover narrowed his eyes, "What else are they capable of?"

"We're about to find out." Robyn pointed at one of them activating something.

**Their glass lens turned black and trickled black lightning out of its backside, opening three portals in the sky. From those portals came three differently colored Rabbits. All of them functional and combat-ready.**

**Everyone gasped and took a step back as the Rabbits came crashing onto the ground, stunned by just how quickly the situation has taken for the worst. **

"Well… Shit." Vernal swore.

Raven nodded in agreement, "That is an appropriate response."

And the worse part? No one in the audience could disagree with that.

**Smiling at their enemy's' reaction, Captain Hairein raised his hand and smiled. "Well then, let's get ourselves some baby chicks, shall we?" Everyone onboard looked eager at being deployed onto the field. "Miden's forces are properly dispersed, and with the Rabbits doing their work, the stage is now ready." He flicked through a series of video feeds before dismissing them. "What's more, with the Rads investigations, I know that the baby chicks' triggers aren't equipped with an escape feature."**

**Hairein turned to his subordinates, "Guys. Try to have a good time against those Miden's soldiers without interfering on the Rabbits work, okay?" **

"They're targeting the trainees," Tai growled.

"And rightfully so." Raven said monotonously, "What better way to stop the next generations of defenders than to deal with them when they're just amateurs and beginners?"

Cinder smiled sinisterly. '_Wouldn't that be a huge blow if a Huntsman Academy suddenly falls and its students lost?'_

**/-/**

**"Three new models?!" **

**"Not fair!" Izuho yelped, "It's like they're telling us they can send as many as they want!"**

**"Hurry up, run away!" Shouted Kitora, "They're targeting the C-Class members!" **

**As she finished her sentence, a black colored Rabbit planted an arm into the ground and shot liquid black spikes up the ground, tearing Kitora apart. But not enough to trigger a bailout. **

The students gasped at the sight of Kitora getting ripped apart and by the shock of a Rabbit capable of performing such baffling feat.

Pietro's eyes nearly popped out from his eye socket, "It can control its state of matter?"

"They just can't catch a break, can they?" Roman half-heartedly quipped.

**"Kitora!" Osamu cried out.**

**"D-damn…!" Kitora hissed. "Mikumo, contact HQ!" Her voice was cut short as the Rabbit opened up its chest and impaled her with two sickle-like appendages. "Ba-Bail o…" **

**Kitora's Trion body shimmered before turning into a glowing white cube and was quickly collected by the Rabbit. **

"Oh no!" Ruby cried out.

Cinder looked intrigued, "So, that's how they work."

**"She got eaten!" **

**"Fuck!" Osamu tried to move but was swiftly swatted aside by another model. **

**"Four eyes mister!" Izuho gasped.**

**Osamu clutched his head, "I'm fine! Forget about me!"**

**After witnessing an A-Class agent being defeated, the C-Class agents began to turn tail and run for their lives. **

**"The A-Class was eaten!"**

**"Aaaaah!"**

Ironwood shut his eyes briefly, "They're routing."

"They don't stand a chance against them, Jimmy." Qrow gripped at his armrest. "Much less three with special abilities."

Vine calmly breathed, but his eyes were restless. "Their situation has become… Very dire."

"T-that's an understatement." Marrow said between his gritted his teeth. He wished he could jump through and help them.

**Izuho also decided to retreat with them, "This is bad! Let's bail, Chikako!" She frowned when she didn't see Chika with her. "Chikako?!" **

**Chika stood there, shivering in front of a Rabbit. **

**"What are you doing, Chika?! Go quickly!" Osamu roared, trying to pick himself up from the debris. Their voices didn't reach her. Chika was in a state of shock and heavily hyperventilating. "Chika!" **

"Come on, move!" Blake's voice was barely above a whisper.

"She's too scared to move or react." Raven said apathetically, "A wonder she even made it this far, much less signed up for this."

**The Rabbit lumbered towards the small girl, only to stagger back as a bolt struck it on its chin.**

**That snapped Chika out of her state of shock as she turned to see who fired. **

**"Don't ya dare lay a hand on her! You fuckin' clunker!" Izuho shouted, firing another shot from her sniper rifle. The Rabbit made a dashed towards her, blocking the bullet with its giant hand and snatching her off the ground. "Guh! Agh! Wait, timeout!" She struggled against the Rabbit's grip and kicked harder when she saw it opened up its chest to capture her. "Gross, gross, gross!"**

"There's no timeout in a real fight." Vernal snorted.

"She's very brave, attracting its attention away for her friend." Selflessness is a trait Ozpin can admire greatly, though it does have its shortcoming.

"You mean, a way for others to die in your stead," Raven growled at the headmaster.

Yang quietly noted the hostility and the content her mother kept sending when she's talking to Ozpin. Something about fairy tales, being strong, and surviving…

**"Izuho…!" Chika moved slightly from her spot but couldn't bring herself to move anymore. **

**"Run away, Chikako!" Izuho had seemingly accepted her fate and released the cat that was somehow on her so it could escape, "RUN!"**

**Osamu staggered towards them, still not fully recovered from the Rabbit's initial attack. "Run away, Chika!" **

**Throughout her life. Those closest to her kept saying one thing. Run away. From Kitora to Osamu, it was the same thing over and over. It only resulted in her losing her friends and families while she was left alone. Something inside of her snapped. **

**She joined Border for one reason, and one reason only. To protect those dear to her. **

Ozpin blinked before smiling widely, "Her eyes… She regained her resolve."

**Chika made a jumped towards Izuho's dropped sniper rifle and picked it up. **

**_'I'll protect my friends.' _She resolved, pointing the sniper rifle at the Rabbit and discharged an enormous amount of Trion that lit up the area like the sun. **

The audience shielded their eyes once more as the Trion bullet glowed unbelievable brighter than an Ilgar's explosion.

None was more affected than the cat faunus, Blake, who hissed at the fact of having her eyes nearly burned out again. "Again, with the lights!"

**The Rabbit quickly brought up one of its arms to protect itself, but Chika's attack punched through it like soft clay, throwing Izuho at of the Rabbit's grip and ripping off nearly half of its body. **

**"Haa…" Chika breathed out, looking exhausted and slightly shocked. **

Coco's sunglasses, which somehow still allows her to watch the viewing without issue, slid down her face. "At this point, I'm all out surprises to show on my face."

"How did she do that?" Nora asked in awe, "She went beeeeeew, and the Rabbit thing went krrrsh-boooom! Giant light bomb and all!"

"Yeah, what was that?" Yang also joined in.

_"Chika possesses an extraordinary amount of Trion. As such, she can 'supercharge' any of her attacks with devastating results."_

"Almost like our fearless leader with his large reserve of aura." Nora reached over and patted Jaune on the head.

_"Indeed. However, with her large Trion reserves, she's also a desirable target for any Neighbors."_

"Which means the enemy will now be focused on kidnapping her," Ozpin said with a dark look.

**"Hey! Chikako!" Izuho shook a fist at her friend, "Didja plan on blowing me to pieces too?!"**

**"S-sorry!" She quickly apologized. **

**The heavily damaged Rabbit sunk to its knees and remained still for a moment. Its head tilted slightly to the side as its arms started to bubble in preparation for a sneak attack. **

"It's still operational!" Penny instinctively called out.

**Osamu quickly reacted, slashing the Rabbit across its eye, killing it for good. **

**"What?! It was still alive?" Izuho said in shock. **

Pietro rubbed his chin, "The eye appears to be the core of everything for these Trion soldiers. Even when horrendously damaged, as long as the eye remains intact… I don't think even the androids we create can remain functioning if it were nearly sundered in half."

"Very hardy." Marrow grunted.

**Osamu stepped protectively in front of them and contacted HQ. "General Manager Shinoda! Kitora has been captured by the enemy while fighting several new models! The enemies' numbers may increase even more! They're targeting the C-Class members!"**

**"I've roughly grasped the situation. Different colored new models are appearing in the East and South too." Shinoda confirmed, "We'll be surpassed in no time if this continues. I've received Kitora's report as well. Border's strongest unit is already heading your way!"**

**"Border's strongest unit?" Osamu inquired.**

**/-/**

**Border's strongest unit was driving through the streets on a jeep, apparently late to the scene because of a certain someone. **

**"Seriously! Why are we so freaking late?!" Complained Kirie Konami. **

**"Well, it's because we went to pick you up at school." Said their driver, Reiji Kizaki.**

**Kyosuke Karasuma nodded, "Indeed." **

Weiss didn't look very impressed, "That's their strongest team?"

"You shouldn't judge them based on personality and appearances." Winter shot Qrow a bitter look, "Even if they're very unpleasant and uncouth."

"I'll take that as a compliment, Ice Queen."

The Ace-Ops raised an eyebrow at Winter's 'compliment'. That's certainly a first they've heard from the icy specialist.

"Who's he again?" Marrow asked his colleague.

"I believe his name is Qrow," Vine answered.

**"What?!" Kirie was rather shocked by their replies before shaking it off. "So, what's the battle plan this time?" **

**"Same as always. You go wild and we follow your lead."**

**"Roger."**

"Sounds like Yang."

"Sounds like Nora." Team JNPR and RWBY glanced at each other before laughing.

Yang wiped a fake tear, "I'm so honored in being your point woman."

**"Okay!" Kirie pulled out her trigger and activated it, "Let's shred these new models to pieces! Trigger on!" **

**"Battle body forming. Contents converting to Trion body. Trigger activation complete." Her trigger mechanically droned as it created her Trion body. A Trion body that was different than her normal body, ditching her long hair for a shorter one.**

**"Now, let's begin fighting!" Kirie hooped.**

"Wait, so their Trion body doesn't have to match their actual body?" Sun asked the Hosts.

_"It does not. As seen with Kirie's Trion body, she has forsaken her long hair for practical reasons while in her Trion body."_

"While she still retains her hair length outside of that." Weiss curled her hair slightly, "That sounds convenient."

**/-/**

**"What was that Trion response just now?" Hairein went over the camera feed of a Rabbit getting decimated by Chika's sniper shot. "Was that from a Black Trigger?"**

**"No." Mira reviewed the footage, "It isn't a Black Trigger. The response comes from… A normal trigger, sir." **

**"Then it's a new formidable enemy?" Lamvanein asked excitedly, "Two mod-bodied Rabbits have already been killed!"**

**"It looks like the person behind it is one of the baby chicks, not a combatant." Mira paused, "However, these readings…"**

** "An unexpected 'golden chick' is it?" Hairein narrowed his eyes, "Change of plans. Lamvanein, Enedora. Both of you will be sent out through the gates just like planned and split up Miden's soldiers as well as backup the Rabbits' work. However, there's no need to push yourselves. Our objective is to force Miden in utilizing all its assets. If things become dangerous, then withdraw using Mira's trigger."**

"They're making their moves with this revelation." Glynda mused, "All of them appear to be formidable opponents."

"But the question remains, why are they provoking their enemies into showing their trump cards?" Ironwood hunched a bit in his seat, "Gathering intel on their capabilities for future attacks?"

"It certainly is a brain twister," Qrow grumbled, rubbing his head.

**Enedora scoffed, "Dangerous? As if I'd ever be defeated by those small fries from Miden!"**

**"Visa. Hyuse. You two are to pursue the 'golden chick' and we may be some chance… Find ourselves a new God." The camera feed froze on Chika, aiming with Izuho's rifle.**

Everybody frowned upon hearing this.

"What do they mean by finding themselves a new God?" Asked Ozpin.

_"For the time being, that shall remain a mystery to you all."_

**/-/**

**Chika fired off another devastating shot at the remaining charging Rabbits. The condensed Trion bullet shot past the Trion soldiers, having learned not to be hit by anything from Chika. **

**_'It evaded?! Is it capable of learning?!' _Osamu stabbed his weapon into the ground. "Shield mode!" **

Ozpin shifted slightly in his seat, "How troublesome."

"Their programming allows quick adaptations," Pietro noted, looking worried for the Border agents. "Quite a terrifying opponent to go against."

"If only our androids could be just as robust." Marrow received a nudge of Harriet as a reminder to be mindful of the good doctor. Especially in the robotics field. "Oof, err… No offense."

**The Raygust expanded, taking the full brunt of the first Rabbit's attack, but leaving the second one to go after Chika. **

Yang clutched her arm tightly, "Crap, one got through!"

**"There's one more!" **

**"Take it down Chikako!"**

**"I can't! I'll hit the house!" Despite being in a precarious situation, Chika is still reluctant to cause any more collateral damage. **

"That's what you care about?! Collateral damage?!" Vernal squawked.

Even Glynda had to admit that now was not the right time to be concern with collateral damage, despite advocating it herself countless times.

**The Rabbit was upon them, swinging its massive arm at Chika and Izuho. Surprisingly, a large figure stepped into view and blocked the Rabbit's attack with one arm. **

"Whoa! Big guy blocked the Rabbit's attack with one hand!" Yang punched her palm. "It's in for it now."

**"K-Kizaki!" Chika said with relief.**

**"Amatori... Have you forgotten the most fundamental basic of being a sniper?" Reiji asked, never taking his eyes off the Rabbit. **

"You should take notes on this part, Ruby." Weiss lightheartedly teased her partner.

Ruby looked offended, "What? I'm a great sniper!"

**Chika gulped, "Snipers lose when their whereabouts are discovered." She repeated what was drilled into her head. "So, the first thing to do is to hide yourself. You can't fight the enemy as long as they know where you are, sir!"**

"That mostly works well against people, not so against Grimm if they can sense your negative emotions. Still, the principle stands." Said Clover.

"The situation we find ourselves in typically doesn't let me gain a vantage point." Ruby meekly looked away.

**Reiji nodded, "Great. It's fine if you remember." **

**He then uppercuts the Rabbit in the chest, lifting the heavy Trion soldier into the air before delivering another swing, throwing it into the Rabbit that was pushing Osamu back. The two Rabbits fell over onto the ground, leaving them briefly vulnerable. **

"Wow, he's strong." Yang grinned, "I'm just itching to get up and punch as well."

**"Meteor!" Kirie fell from the sky with her heavy daggers, accompanied by several volatile Meteor bullets. **

**She crashed straight down onto the pinned Rabbits and viciously slashed them across the face before leaping off. The Meteors came roaring down and exploded upon hitting the Rabbits, coating the area with devastating explosions.**

Nora cheered, "Lots of explosions!"

"Haha! You said it." Elm laughed and gave the thunderous girl a thumbs up.

"That should have taken them out, right?" Oscar asked with a hopeful expression.

Blake tilted her head a bit, "Maybe."

**Kirie turned towards Osamu, disregarding the flying debris and dust that now coated the area. "Osamu, where's Yuma?" **

**Osamu couldn't see her properly amidst the scattering debris but recognized her voice. "Konami?" **

**Before he could tell her where Yuma is, a whirring sound could be heard from the obstructed area, catching the attention of both Kirie and Osamu. **

"Nope!" Yang yelped while popping the 'p'.

"Oh, come on." Sun groaned, "Just fall over already."

**Despite being deeply scarred, the Rabbits remained operational and counterattacked with a charged up red laser beam. **

**"Escudo." Bright lights lined the ground and flickered as a large shield rose from the floor, shielding them just in time as the laser beam discharged and struck hard against the barrier. "Sorry for being late, Osamu." Karasuma calmly strolled up behind them.**

"Whooooa! He can create a shield from the ground?!" Ruby's eyes sparkled very brightly. "I'm starting to get jealous of their weapons! They're so versatile!"

"You? Jealous of their weapons?" Yang mockingly looked shocked, "What has this world time to?"

"Quiet, Yang!"

Weiss sighed, "Enough you two."

**"Karasuma!" Osamu looked greatly relieved at the arrival of his powerful friends.**

**"What? They're still alive?" Kirie casually observed. **

**"Please be careful!" Osamu warned, "You'll be turned into a cube if you get caught! It happened to Kitora and several C-Class members!"**

**"We know," Karasuma nodded, "It also happened to one of the regular members. The engineers over at HQ are currently pursuing their analysis of the cubes." The scene cuts to three engineers analyzing a glowing cube at HQ. "Although it's going smoothly, it's been also troublesome. These cubes won't receive a single scratch and won't open unless the right manner of solving is used."**

**Kirie smugly smiled, "In other words, it's fine not to hold back, right?"**

"No. I would still be careful regardless unless the situation calls for it." Harriet stretched her arms and then jerked her finger at Marrow, "I wouldn't want him to be complaining about rough handling."

"What's that suppose to mean?" The dog faunus asked with an annoyed expression.

"You wouldn't understand."

**"Tamakoma First will save Kitora and the other captured people, while you follow the C-Class." **

**"So, we'll only have to clean up the small fries after we defeat these things?" Kirie cracked her knuckles, "Smells like an easy win."**

**"No, please wait a moment!" Osamu called out, "Those things that open the gates are still here!"**

"I've completely forgotten about those things." Velvet's ears instinctively went full alert. "As long as those things are around, I think they can drop more of those things in!"

"Oh, crap. You're right." Coco scowled, "Where are they anyway?"

**Quietly skittering up a building, a single Rad came to a paused and began opening a portal overhead. The Aftokrators were beginning to make their move, personally. **

**Tamakoma First, Osamu, Chika, and Izuho found themselves under the crosshairs of Viza and Hyuse as they stepped out of the gate.**

**Kazama's unit immediately put up their guard as Enedora rumbled out of the gate, looking annoyed.**

**And Azuma's all sniper unit found themselves intercepted by Lamvanein, who came crashing out of the sky with a large grin on his face.**

Jaune gulped, "I-I think something worse came through the gates."

"Oh, boy." Yang winced.

**"Transfer complete." Mira said with a smile, "Start fighting."**

_"We believe this is a good place to pause for now." _The screen darkened and the room brightens once more. _"When we return, we shall continue where we left off. For now, let us move onto the next viewing."_

"Shame." Ironwood got up, along with the entire audience, and stretched. "I would've like to see more."

"You'll get to see more of your military drama, Jimmy." Qrow bends his head back and down his entire flask. He then wiped his mouth with his sleeve before sitting back down in his chair. "Though, I wonder what we'll be seeing next."

"We'll have to see, as always." Ironwood cracked a smile and returned to his seat.

"That's how it works here." Qrow shrugged, "At least this place gives you nearly everything."

In another row of the theater, Ruby was madly scribbling a lot of things into a notebook. Her hands blurred at a staggering pace, so much so that her teammates suspect that her semblance had somehow manifested itself in another manner.

"Um… What are you writing down, Rubes?" Asked Yang.

Ruby didn't glance up from her work, "Ideas. Weapons. Research. Development."

Her teammates stared at each other, then back to their team leader.

"I'm a bit worried," Weiss said tentatively.

"Me too."

"Me three."

In the 'villain' section of the theater, Cinder was neatly stacking and putting away her writings.

"Um, ma'am." Emerald frowned, "Is it okay for me to ask, what is on…" Cinder's smug and thoughtful expression silenced her. "Never mind."

Mercury leaned in and whispered, "Never thought she could be even smugger than she normally is."

* * *

**NEXT: ****One-Punch Man - Saitama vs Genos**

**What a surprise, the lottery system landed on this one.**

* * *

**Pardon my grammar.**

**It's finally over, for now...**


	29. One-Punch Man - Saitama vs Genos

**Pardon my grammar. **

**I can't help but feel that this chapter is a bit dull for some reason. Like the characters' reactions are dull. **

**Anyway, Sorry about the delay! Working on other stories I would like to release before Summer courses begin in June.**

**FIXED: Misspelled word. Point them out for me so I can correct them, if you would be so kind.**

* * *

**One-Punch Man - Saitama vs Genos**

* * *

"_It appears we have another amusing world to watch." _Said the Hosts as the screen flickered black and white. _"Before we start this viewing, this world may be a bit of an oddity to our guests. A world where many things come and go, so to speak."_

Yang raised an eyebrow, "Not sure I understood what you just said."

Ozpin chimed in, "I believe what they meant to say, in short… Anything goes."

"_You are correct. In this world, lives a man named Saitama, the One-Punch Man. A human capable of defeating nearly anything with a single punch."_

Marrow scoffed, "What kind of title is One-Punch Man?"

Harriet rolled her eyes, "It's pretty self-explanatory either way if you didn't hear our Hosts."

"I'm sorry, what?" Emerald cleaned out her ears, "With just a punch?"

"_Correct."_

"How does that work?"

"Anything goes." Mercury shrugged and leaned back in his seat. "They did say that this world is weird."

"Right…"

"That sounds awesome!" Nora and Yang gasped in excitement. "Enough talking, let's watch!"

"_Very well. Let us begin." _The room darkens and the screen flickers into life.

**The scene opens up to a cyborg with spiky blond hair, black sclera that pairs with his yellow irises, facing off against his 'teacher' who is none other than Saitama. A goofy looking bald young man dressed in yellow, donning a white cape and red gloves.**

**It'll be a friendly spar. A practice match to gauge how Genos will fare against his master.**

"Which one is Saitama?" Neptune asked, looking between the cyborg and the bald young man. "I would guess the blond-haired guy. He looks strong."

"_Saitama is the bald one."_

"What a disappointing choice in clothes," Coco commented about his awful choice of clothes. "Could have picked a better outfit."

"Really? Him?" Yang looked surprised, "I had my money on the other one."

"Don't judge a person by their looks." Tai lectured, having to drill this into his daughter's mind multiple times in the past. "Take Qrow for an example."

"Hey!"

"Ha! Fair enough."

"**Thank you for agreeing to my unreasonable request today." Genos thanks Saitama as they readily up for their sparring match.**

"**Well, yeah I did promise to make you my disciple…" Saitama walked a lengthy meter away from Genos to give them the necessary distance. "Is right here good?"**

"**Yes!"**

"**So, we're just having a practice bout, right?" The bald hero double-checked with his disciple. "Not fighting for real?"**

"So, they're sparring." Ren quietly mused, "I wonder how this will turn out."

"Baldie will win. One punch and it's his win." Nora stuffed her face full of butter salted popcorn.

"Don't talk with your mouth full."

"**Yes, that's what I have in mind." Genos's expression hardened, "But I want you to go all out, so I too will give it my all." Saitama blankly watches as Genos's entire body started to glow bright orange. His entire body was emitting intense heat, sending steam into the air. Highlights of magma colored light decorated his expanding mechanical body, warming up his system for their fight. Genos clenches his fist and slides his legs a few feet from each other, ready to blast off. "Please grant me my request."**

**Saitama remains where he stands, unmoving, and slumping slightly.**

"He's an android?" Penny quizzically asked the Hosts. From what Penny could gather, Genos appears to be fully metallic, save for his face and hair which could be artificial.

"_That is Genos. A cyborg. A majority of his body has undergone cybernetic enhancements."_

"Just like you," Qrow whispered to Ironwood. "Seems like he got the better upgrade than you Atlesian can ever come up with."

Ironwood eyed his colleague, "We'll see soon."

"Oh my." Pietro rubbed his chin, "That is quite an extensive amount of body modification. Perhaps it was out of necessity."

Mercury rubbed his neck, wondering what it's like having a near-full metal body. The one on-screen was more robot than human. "Sheesh, and I thought I had it bad."

"_We'll be slowing the viewing a bit at certain parts for our audience to actually see what is occurring."_

"They can't be going that fast." Marrow glanced at Harriet, "If I can keep track of Harriet, this shouldn't be much of a problem."

**Genos's shoulder rocket boosters kicked into life into a blazing eruption of flames. Pillars of condensed firestorm coats the entire valley in orange before unleashing a blinding burst of an explosion as Genos rocket towards Saitama, melting the earth behind him in the process.**

**The seemingly unstoppable force that is Genos tore through the air at speeds many could not react. Despite standing there like a lost fool, Saitama is far from one of those people. The man of one punch bent his knees roughly 90 degrees back and dodge Genos's flying kick within less of a second. The field around them kicked up a storm with chunks of rocks and clouds of dust tossed into the air, yet neither combatants were fazed by that.**

Everyone blinked twice at just how sudden Saitama dodged Genos attack.

"Now, that's a kick," Mercury said in awe. "I would kill for jet boosters to be installed on mines."

Clover has his full attention on the screen. "He must have an extremely strong body to suddenly bend on his legs like that." He doubts anyone here can perform the same dodge Saitama just did without falling over. "And within a split of a second, none too late."

**Genos reexamined his options as he zooms past Saitama, stopping his rocket boosters and blasting off his hand cannons to stop his momentum. Turning his entire body, Genos continued to fire a burst of his armaments and spun in the air to deliver a fierce spin kick that was nonchalantly dodged by Saitama.**

**Seeing that his attack failed, Genos shot off to the side while Saitama smiled in anticipation.**

"Holy crap, nice usage of velocity on the kicks."

"You're starting to creep me out, Merc." Emerald hit her partner on the shoulder. "Don't start taking your arms off for robotic ones. I won't be your surgeon."

Mercury snorted, "I wouldn't trust you to be my surgeon."

Cinder ignored her underlings' bickering and continued to watch the spar with curiosity.

**The cyborg zipped around the desolate terrain, using the explosive burst of his hand cannons to guide his way. He made several turns before blasting into the sky with a spectacular discharge of his armaments, leaving a molten crater in his wake. Soaring high into the sky, Genos hoisted one of his legs into the air, arcs of electricity dancing around them. Activating his jet booster, Genos barreled towards Saitama with an axe kick.**

Emerald had to cover Mercury's mouth to prevent him from filing any more compliments.

"Kick addict." She muttered.

**Just as the kick was meters away from making direct contact with Saitama, the bald superhero blurred out of view, in time to dodge the devastating impact of Genos's kick that leveled the entire area into the air, along with Saitama who decided to ride the current.**

"Whoa! Where did he go?!" Ruby squeaked, "Did he teleported?"

"_No. Saitama can be move quicker than what a person's mind and eyes can perceive."_

"He's faster than me." Harriet's eyes widen, "Barely caught a glimpse of him before he took off."

"Hard not to see why." Vine said calmly, "Each of his attacks is like an explosion going off. What strength."

Elm nodded, "Puts me to shame."

**From the debris still continuing their flight to the plethora of smoke and dust where Genos landed, Saitama surveyed the area high in the sky, quickly noticing a bright orange light that was building up from the smokey crater. A large beam of intensive heat shot towards Saitama from Genos's hand cannon that now had its full armaments displayed.**

**Saitama blurred between the rocks still flying into the air, vanishing from sight as the concentrated beam punch through the cliffs, destroying whatever was unfortunate enough to be around the area. The intense orange light quickly died down with the laser beam, reverting the area back to normal color.**

"**That was close…" Saitama said with concern. He landed down onto the still brunt ground that's partially alight with embers. "My clothes could have got burn up again."**

"I would be more concern about getting cremated than worry about my clothes burning," Yatsuhashi said bluntly. "No offense, Coco."

"Hey! Even I know people have to be alive to enjoy fashion."

"Whoooooa! Did you see how many weapons were put into his arms?!" Ruby squealed, "And the giant laser beam! It went vhooooosh!"

"We saw, Ruby." Weiss cautiously answered her team leader, hoping the crimson reaper doesn't get any outlandish ideas in 'upgrading' her weapon.

**Behind the bald superhero, Genos still had his weapons trained on Saitama, but acknowledge that even at this range, he won't be able to land a single hit on his master. Collapsing his hand cannon, he breathed out a large puff of smoke and began kicking his system into overdrive, sparks of electricity arcing around his entire body.**

'**_I need more speed!' _He slammed his hand onto the ember ground. His arms crackling with electricity, highlights glowing brightly than before.**

**Genos started levitating. Immense heat flowed out of his hand into a steady stream of lightning, roaring pillars of flame from his shoulder, taking the cyborg a few feet off the ground. In a blink of an eye, Genos flitted through the area at speeds that most cannot perceive.**

**The speed in which Genos was going ripped the air and ground, forcing Saitama to effortlessly match it.**

Sun gulped, "I thought you said you're slowing down the viewing."

"_Apologies. Our perception works against us at times. Let us readjust the speed."_

**The two covered the vast valley with blistering speed, taking to the air for a quick dogfight with Saitama not bothering to strike out against his disciple. Instead, Saitama prefers to dodge all of Genos attack that streak by in billows.**

**After evading several of Genos attack, Saitama dived down towards the ground while being pursued by his disciple. Each time the two crossed paths, the ground explodes from the impact, ripping chunks of rocks from the ground. Their spar continued to the cliffs, with Genos letting out a short battlecry as he overclocks his arms for a barrage of punches.**

**Explosions after explosions.**

**The cliffsides suddenly found itself with numerous craters made from the blistering barrage of punches as Genos tried to keep up with his master, barely even nicking his white cape. The endless destruction continued to snake through the cliffsides, turning rocks into dust.**

"Holy. Shit." Yang's jaws dropped. "Look at him go."

Everyone was too stunned to make a statement, save for a few. Even Glynda and Tai, who would normally rebuke her for using such foul language, didn't even acknowledge anything that was in the theater room.

"So fast!" Harriet blinked, trying to keep up. Her semblance allows her to move very fast, and that requires good perception least she trips or slams into something. The speed at which Genos is going is too much even for her.

Penny's eyes dilated, trying to analyze Genos's attack. "His punches are like that of a fully automated weapon with the destruction of compacted explosions."

"Boom! Boom! Boom!" Nora flailed her arms around, trying to mimic the explosion from Genos's punches. "Haha! So many explosions!"

**The barrage of obliteration ceased when Genos discovered that he was punching at nothing. Wherever his master is, he's definitely not in the blacken cliff cavity he just made.**

'**_He's gone?! Have I been chasing his afterimage this whole time?'_**

"Are you sure you didn't punch him out of existence?" Raven sarcastically and fearfully asked.

"I think he already did..." Vernal mumbled.

**Genos turned his head and activated cybernetic eyes to scan the entire area. His yellow crosshair surveyed the valley while his interface status had Saitama listed as 'Target Lost' until finally catching a glimpse of a figure running miles away. A quick biological analysis and reaction listed the figure as Saitama.**

'**_There!'_ He instantly locked onto his target and chased after his master.**

Pietro hummed, "A targeting and bioanalysis assistant interface. The latter has yet to be developed as profound as his. I wonder who designed and created this technology."

"Can that be replicated, Doctor Pietro?" Ironwood asked the scientist.

"At our current state, I'm not sure. It'll require a lot of research and testing."

**Saitama 'jogged' through the rocky terrain, arms and legs slightly blurring. If he were really trying to escape, Genos wouldn't be able to catch up at full power. Lo and behold, Genos immediately caught up to him with his jet boosters, landing in front of Saitama and prevented him from going any further. The bald superhero slowed to a skittering half, enough time for Genos to clasp his hands together to launch a powerful attack.**

**Mechanical sounds vibrated the air around him as his arm cannons merged together and extended all of its arsenals with glowing, dangerous-looking gun barrels and energy generators.**

"No way!" Ruby gasped upon seeing them, "I need that on my baby!"

"**Incinerate!" The air suddenly lit alight. An enormous roaring blast of flame immediately encompassed the half of the valley; cremating and melting everything in a blazing inferno.**

Team RWBY and JNPR numbly snapped their heads towards Nora and Ruby, respectively. "You are not outfitting your weapons with anything remotely similar to that!"

"What? Why?!" The two wailed in protest.

Glynda leaned closer to Ironwood and Ozpin and whispered, "Should we start drafting weapon restrictions?"

"I'm tempted to say yes to that…" Ozpin said as he readjusted his spectacles. "If it exists."

Ironwood nodded, "Agreed."

'**_I got him this time.' _Genos continued to keep up his intense blast, knowing that Saitama wouldn't go down that easy. _'Master will have to take me more seriously now…'_**

Vernal leaned back on her seat, swearing she can feel the immense heat from the screen. "Is he sparring or trying to kill him?"

"Why not both?" Roman numbly replied, "Unless that guy can take an attack like that…"

"Did someone turn up the heat?" Neo's sign read, "It's coming from the screen."

**A red gloved hand reached out from behind him and gently pat Genos's shoulder, forcing him to turn around.**

'**_Behind -!' _Genos found his left cheek playfully squished by Saitama as he turned around.**

"**Okay, I win." Saitama cheerfully declared.**

"He's not taking this seriously, which says a lot." Clover mused.

Qrow and Robin nodded, "No kidding."

"I can't even see traces of confidence in his eyes." Cinder frowned, "No arrogance… Only carefreeness. What a strange man. I suppose having power beyond his disciple leaves a lot of room for him to be laidback."

"I keep forgetting that this is a sparring match and not a deathmatch," Emerald muttered.

**Genos immediately swung his fist, punching the air where Saitama was standing just a second ago. The cyborg briefly paused, trying to determine where Saitama was before faintly detecting him landing behind him, flailing around to regain his balance from his landing.**

"**Master."**

"**Yah?"**

"**Have you forgotten the rules of the bout?" The camera pans out to the decimated valley, showcasing their destructive powers had on the battlefield. "Dodge any attack you can dodge. Take it seriously, and no fooling around. Do not hold back." It cuts to Saitama looking at Genos blankly, mouth lazily agape. "And… Keep fighting until I am no longer able to fight."**

"Fight till you can't move, huh?" Qrow took a small sip from his flask, "Certainly brings me back." It was brutal training like that which makes them stand out among the students back when he and Raven were students of Beacon. "Can't say it was pleasant."

Clover raised an eyebrow, "That so?"

"Eh. Old stuff. Made me a great huntsman at least."

**Several scenes replayed in Genos mind of Saitama effortlessly dispatching his enemies. One of them had a naked Saitama splattering blood all over a building after obliterating a monster, another had Saitama extremely disappointed at just how easy he killed them. _'Even master Saitama himself cannot explain. The secret to his power…' _The scene returns to the present day with Saitama, crossing his arms and tilting his head slightly. _'This fight may give me some insight into it.'_**

"My eyes!" Sun cried out, rubbing his eyes.

"I did not need to see that," Qrow grumbled and downed his entire flask.

Yang and Weiss quickly scrambled to cover Ruby and Oscar's eyes.

"A little bit of warning would be nice for the young and innocent." Weiss snapped at the Hosts.

"Yeah."

Raven snorted, "Let them grow up. They shouldn't be 'innocent' after watching several bloody viewings."

"Quiet, mom."

"Raven, come on." Tai disapprovingly eyed his former wife.

**Genos's body started glowing, emitting a faint aura around his metal body. "Show me no mercy." His master continued to stand there; arms crossed. However, he tensed his foot, ready to move the. "Those were the rules, Master—"**

**In an instant, Saitama appeared in front of Genos startling the cyborg. Instinctively moving back, Genos used the small distance to kick his leg out but acted too slow. Already was Saitama behind him, making a fist and pulling his arm back to deliver a punch.**

"Fast!" Marrow couldn't help but exclaim.

"And he's finally attacking instead of dodging." Said Robin.

**Time seemed to slow down for Genos as he glanced back, "What the -?!"**

**The character death was painted red in front of Genos in the form of Saitama's fist, jetting towards him at a speed his cybernetic enhanced mind can only process seconds late.**

**But Saitama's punch stopped short from Genos's face, intentionally falling short of punching range. As he stopped, the wind finally caught up to his punching motion, surging towards the direction Saitama was punching like a tidal wave. Condensed dust and air particles swept up with the flow, pillaring out like a stream of an air blast. The air howled and fluctuated, caused by the tsunamic gust of wind that stems from Saitama's punch, finally ending after a good moment.**

**As the dust settles, Saitama lowered his arm and gently rap Genos's forehead with his knuckle. "I'm starving. Time for lunch." He bounced away with his two feet, leaving Genos stunned on the spot. "Let's grab some udon noodles."**

There was a moment of silence before Yang jumped from her seat. "What a punch! How did he drag that much air with him on his punches?!"

"I would hate to see what would happen if that punch actually connected with someone." Ren shivered.

"No kidding." Jaune gulped, "That's like… Erased from the planes of existence."

"I can see why he's called One-Punch Man…" Said Pyrrha.

"That. Was. Awesome!" Nora cheered.

**Genos stood where he was, hair ruffled from the gust of wind. His mouth was slightly open still trying to come to terms what had happened. All he managed to say was one word.**

"**Okay…" He watched his master happily marched away.**

Roman couldn't help but take a jab at Genos. "Not so cocky, now are you?"

"Oh, hush you." Maria pointed her cane at Roman. "As if you would be any better against him."

Cinder smirked at Maria's retort. There's something about the old lady that just amuses her when she handles the others with her wisecrack.

'**_I am prepared to do anything in order to become stronger.' _Genos slowly glanced behind him. _'But…' _His eyes widen slightly. _'I can't picture myself even approaching master's power.'_**

**What was left of the large landscape behind him? A very large gorge.**

The audience went silent. Every single one of them froze for a second upon seeing the impact Saitama made without even being near the landscape. All of them were pretty certain there were kilometers of solid rocks and hard minerals that was behind Genos, now it's all gone.

"Guys. There was something behind him earlier, right?" Jaune asked everybody around him.

Ren numbly nodded, "Yes."

"I'm pretty sure there was."

Jaune continued, "And now it's gone, right?"

"Yup. It's gone." Yang closed her jaws and shook her head. "Completely gone. Cleaned off gone."

'**_Not at all…'_**

The screen darkens and the lights return to the room.

"Hang on a minute!" Coco raised a hand, "Wait, wait. Let me just gather my thoughts on what had happened."

"Is this what looking up to power creep feels like?" Neptune questioned himself, feeling significantly small. It wasn't just him, some of the powerhouses of the audience felt the same thing. They may be able to do some impressive feats, but none of it can match up to what Saitama just did.

"Some time to gather our thoughts would be nice." Weiss nodded, glancing over when she felt a slight tug on her sleeves. It was Oscar. "Something wrong?"

Oscar pointed to Ruby, who's hand flitted across her drawing paper that would put her own semblance to shame. "Are you going to stop her?"

"Ruby! What did we say?!"

"You're not stopping your team leader from upgrading her weapons!"

"And me as well!" Nora unhelpfully jumped in.

"_Very well. A brief break before we start out next viewing." _The Hosts left the audience to their own device as Team RWBY and JNPR struggled with their respective team members.

* * *

**The Raid 2 – Rama vs Hammer girl and Baseball Bat man**

**Another unexpected winner for the next chapters lottery.**

* * *

**Pardon my grammar.**


	30. The Raid 2: Rama vs Hammer G and BB Bat

**Sorry for another delay. Had to deal with some life stuff.**

**Please point out any mistakes (spelling, etc.) since I've caught some already by the time I publish this. **

**Pardon my grammar.**

* * *

**The Raid 2 - Rama vs Hammer girl and Baseball Bat man**

* * *

"_This next viewing will be rather unpleasant for some."_

After a brief break, along with Team RWBY and JNPR struggling to keep their hyperactive teammates in check, the audience had a chance to gather their thoughts and wait for the next viewing. Their previous viewing has left them all baffle, but it's all in the past. Certainly, there will be more surprises as they continue watching.

"Isn't that a first?" Vernal snarks, "What we'll be watching? Another grueling war?"

"_Not this time. This one shall be a fight." _The Hosts answers, _"A fight to the death. In a world with no aura, semblance, or Dust. Only the body, mind, and what they bring."_

"How philosophical."

"_It is but the truth."_

Oscar gulps, "I hope it wouldn't be that horrible tournament one."

The scene of people instantly getting eviscerated sudden resurface within some of the audiences' minds.

"Me too, Oscar." Ruby nods with an uneasy expression. "Me too…"

Mercury rolls his eyes, internally scoffing at their squeamishness. Though he will admit, some of the horrific viewings sent chills down his spines or makes his throat dry. "Well, might as well get on with it."

"Hold up. What's this about a tournament?" Marrow asks.

"It was some messed up contests where contestants brutally kill each other and occasionally spectators." Winter's face scrunches up at the recollection of that viewing. "Savages to the highest level, those lots were."

Qrow brought his flask up and took a swig out of it. "And the worst part is that those contestants could be sum up as monsters, or monsters among monsters. I reckon they can kill more than half of us without taking us seriously."

Marrow pales slightly but kept his cool demeanor and expression. "I'll take your word for it."

"Looking pale there." Harriet teases him to lighten up the mood.

"It must be your imagination."

Tai sighs, shuffling in his chair. "It's starting."

Everyone went quiet as the room darkens and the screen flickers to life.

**A shaved man with a bloody face, known as Rama storms down the decorated corridors. The glass walls protecting the colorful wallpaper is spotless but dim underneath the lights.**

**His intrusion is met by two suited thugs who lumber towards him around the corner. Rama swiftly twists his entire body and duck as he parries the first thug's attack and strikes him in the chest with his foot.**

**The second thug brings his fist up for a wide swing, leaving himself vulnerable to about anything. Rama did just that, ducking down with a slide and hooking the second thug's leg, forcing him to a knee. He slams his elbow into the thug's head, causing his head to bounce into the wall, stunning him.**

"Alright! Hand to hand. Good Ol' Fisticuffs." Yang cheers, punching her fist into the air.

"Did you already forgotten about the 'fighting to the death' part we'll be witnessing?" Blake sulky asks her partner. In return, Yang gave her a flat look. "… Forget what I said."

Weiss shakes her head, "Of course, a brute like you would enjoy these acts of violence."

Yang mocks a hurt expression, gasping, and placing a hand over her heart. "My poor, innocent maiden's heart."

Her relatives all gave a snort at that.

**Rama turns around to deal with the first thug and caught his kick mid-swing and delivers a series of strikes into the thug's leg followed by a fierce elbow to the head before grabbing the goon and throwing him aside. He turns his attention to his other opponent, barely recovering from his daze, and booted the thug into the wall, rendering him unconscious.**

**Rama walks towards the first thug he tossed and viciously stomp on his stomach for good measures before turning the corner.**

"Was that really necessary?" Ruby asks, wincing at the sight.

Tai grimaces at that, understanding how important it is to ensure a person is actually down for the fight if they can't secure them. "Unfortunately, I think that was necessary looking at his situation. He'll have to make sure they truly can't fight."

Ruby sullenly nods at that, while listening to Blake adding another brief explanation on why kicking a person while they're down is a reasonable action when in an unfriendly environment.

"I'm surprised, Tai." Raven glance at him with a smile. "You haven't completely mellowed out these years."

"Just stating something logical." He rubs his neck with unease. "They might be in a similar situation in the future."

**As Rama turn, he quickly jerks his upper body, narrowly avoiding a baseball zooming past him. It punches deep into the glass wall, solidly embedding itself into the glass.**

"That was close." Sun whistles.

"At that impact, it would have cracked a skull." Said Yatsuhashi.

**Breathing heavily, Rama evaluates the damage done to the wall before slowly turning his head to his next opponents. Two people, one male, and female; guarded the doorway.**

**The female wore a leather black jacket over a white shirt, and don heavy boots with rip jeans. She wields two hammers with its claws sharpen. The male wore a black hoodie and pants, favoring flat sneakers and wields a metal bat. These two siblings are Bejo's top three hitmen, commonly referred to as Baseball Bat Man and Hammer Girl.**

Elm's eyes narrow a bit, "Those two give off an unpleasant vibe. Just an instinctual feeling."

"I am in agreement with your brief assessment." Vine dealt with a fair number of cutthroats in his military career. Even without being there personally, it was easy to tell that these two are not to be taken lightly.

In the 'villain's' section, Mercury let out a small hum, tapping his armrest with his short tune.

"They're assassins. Like my father."

Emerald is not impressed. "They don't look like much."

"You should never judge a person by their appearance." Cinder softly reprimands her underling, "It could prove to be… Fatal."

"Yes, ma'am."

**The baseball bat-wielding assassin tilts his head and slowly gesture with his hand. "Give me the ball."**

**Rama ignores the assassin's command and steadies his breathing, sauntering towards the assassins. His two opponents also follow suit.**

**The bat-wielding assassin makes several hand gestures, sign language, to his sister regarding their battle tactics. "As usual."**

**The baseball bat-wielding assassin grips his weapon and burst towards Rama, heavily swinging his bat, missing as Rama feint a block and evade the initial strike, getting in-between the two assassins. Rama's position works on both sides' favor. For Rama, it means that both of his opponents must take into careful consideration when attacking, least they hit each other. For the assassins, their target will need to divert his attention on multiple fronts.**

**All part of their plan.**

"He positioned himself in a way where his opponents can't attack with impunity, but he's going to have to watch his back." Tai muse, taking into consideration that aura is not a thing in their dimension. "One slips up and he's in deep trouble."

"No aura to take the hit for you." Vernal grins, "You're gonna have to be well into your game or die."

"A testament of what skills and talents you have," Raven adds, remembering her brutal training during childhood.

**Hammer girl swing backhandedly, forcing Rama to bob down to avoid the hammers' claw and block the other follow upswing by pushing back on her arm with his own.**

**Rama hastily turns behind him and pull one of his legs up, avoiding a bat to his knee joint. Rama returns his focus to the hammer-wielding assassin, redirecting a jab with a grab, and spun her on the spot. Hammer girl tries to make use of this spinning momentum, flailing one arm back to strike him. However, her attack did not go through, allowing Rama to palm her in the guts with enough force to slam her into the walls.**

"Oof. They must have knocked the wind out of her." Coco pause to take several small sips from her drink. Her eyes widen when she saw the bat-wielding assassin making his move. "Ah. Fighting on multiple sides is a pain."

Jaune winces, "Oh, no."

**Rama's counterattack leaves him enough room to disengage from the female assassin, in time to avoid a devasting downward swing from Baseball Bat man. Quickly swinging his foot, Rama narrowly kicking the bat-wielding assassin in the head. His attack may have missed, but it forced the assassin to recover his footing instead of attacking.**

**He delivers a second kick to the bat-wielding assassin, sending the man crashing into the wall. By then, Hammer girl returns to the fight vigorously, throwing her weight in her swings. Rama reacted quickly, grabbing her arms, pulling them across in an attempt to disarm her. His mind quickly snaps back to his other opponent and let out a small yelp as he slams both of his knees down on the ground to avoid the bat-wielding assassin's strike.**

"That was a close call." Pyrrha swallows, hating to see if any of their strikes land true. Without aura, the damage dealt can be potentially fatal, or crippling.

"He's very skilled, able to take on two armed opponents without a weapon." Said Ren, sharing the same concern look as his teammates.

**His weight pulled down his female opponent, causing her to be thrown on the ground and tumble. Baseball Bat man follow through with his initial momentum, bringing his weapon to a halt over his shoulder and backswing it.**

**Rama elbow his opponent on the wrist and slam his arm into the bat-wielding assassin's shoulder, dampening most of the force in his bat swing on his thigh. He delivers another strike onto Baseball Bat man's back and spins behind to grapple him. The hammer-wielding assassin scurries up to help her brother, only to be kicked down.**

"They need room to swing their blunt weapons." Qrow gruffly says to no one in particular. "Getting close to them or interrupting their attack will severely lessen their effectiveness."

Robyn nods, "A bit hard to do so in a narrow hallway."

"And avoid hitting your own allies." Clover adds, "He's doing quite well despite the many disadvantages he's experiencing."

**He then slams his foot on the bat-wielding assassin's knee joint, forcing him onto his knees. During that process, Rama lost his grip on his opponent, forcing him to take a step back as the assassin quickly swing back, only for Rama to catch him by the arm and giving Baseball Bat man a taste of his own medicine by slamming his bat back on his head.**

"That's gotta hurt a lot." Neptune wince at the impact.

"Man, look at all the counters he's throwing back at them," Sun said in awe.

"Gotta love his kicks and twists he's putting them through." Mercury is grinning widely, already memorizing some of the techniques Rama uses. "Might incorporate that into mines."

"Hah! Way ahead of you." Yang calls out across the aisles.

**Gripping his opponent's arm, Rama spun and threw the man behind him, leaving him to face off against Hammer girl once again. She twirls her entire body with each double swing of her hammers, ducking low to take a chance at taking out his legs, before moving spinning back to her fullest height to continue her assault.**

**Her spinning resulted in her having her back turned towards him, but it's never a problem for the female assassin, making use of the hammers' claws for each backswing. When one of her attacks is blocked, she simply spins the opposite direction for another strike.**

"Her fighting style exposures her back a lot." Velvet notes, taking an occasional snapshot with her camera.

"Not very feasible. Risky I might say, but you can't be completely sure if such an opening is a ruse." Port twirls his mustache, calmly watching the fight.

**Seeing how he's being forced back, Rama allows the hammer-wielding assassin to fully turn to face him before catching both of her arms. He crosses her arms and pushes her back with a roar, making use of his greater weight against hers. However, his pushback was quickly met with firm resistance as Hammer girl plants her boot solidly on the ground and loosen her grip on her hammers, letting them slide down to the base of the hammers' head; claws digging into Rama's wrist, causing him to cry out in pain.**

**The hammer-wielding assassin forces him onto his knees and jerks her hands, tearing the skin and splattering blood all over the place. She proceeds to slam her hammers on Rama's chest, causing him to fall on his back.**

Oscar wince, feeling around his wrist. "I can't imagine how much that hurts."

"And he still has to fight two against one with those injuries." Blake's face is that of concern. "Without aura, those injuries will start to build up and weight down on his ability to fight."

"We take aura for granted when we're fighting," Weiss said, sighing.

Vernal smirks, "Ain't that a true statement?"

**She quickly picks herself up from the floor and tries to finish Rama off, but stumble over as he kicks her legs before punting her on the back, knocking her over. Rama attempted to get back to his feet, but the bat-wielding assassin, rush him down, forcing Rama to scissor kick the man's leg, causing the assassin to collapse.**

"Oh, nice." Mercury nods approvingly. "I haven't seen a scissor kick in actual combat in years."

**Rama follows up with a kick near the base of his neck, then a boot to the face, leaving the man flat on his back, groaning in pain.**

Emerald rolls her eyes as Mercury continues to make something like a happy noise. "Kick addict."

**The rush of adrenaline allows Rama to ignore the pain from his cut hands, pushing himself up the floor to deal with the female assassin who relentlessly attack him with another chain of hammer swings. He cannot allow her to get a solid hit on him, or he'll be in a dire strait for his upcoming battle should he get past this.**

**He blocks her attack combos twice before managing to get behind her, twisting her arm, and judo throwing her onto the ground. On instinct, the woman curls her body and kick Rama on his slashed hand, causing him to stagger back in pain while she recovers.**

Robyn takes in a sharp breath, "Ooooh. Right in the slash wound."

"He's stumbling far back into his other opponent!" Marrow hisses with urgency.

"Uh oh." Sun gulps.

**As he staggers back, Rama rotates in between his uneasy footing, coming face to face with an angry bat-wielding assassin. The assassin swings his bat with one hand, using his momentum to turn his entire body to combo a spin kick. When neither of those landed a hit, the male assassin resorted to pummeling his opponent, swiftly moving his entire body and limbs for each swing.**

**Rama desperately grapples with the bat-wielding assassin, seemingly able to get a hold on one of his arms. Instead, the bat-wielding assassin manages to literally force things around, gripping his bat with both hands, and strangling Rama with it. The assassin's sister joined in, slamming her hammers down at Rama's foot, trying to cripple his movement to no avail.**

"They're really trying to break his mobility," Roman said without emotions. "I'd rather not watch the guy get flat-footed. Had enough of knee breaking loan sharks back in my days."

"What was that about knee breaking?" Nora jumps up from her seat.

Ren pulls her down, "Nora, no."

"It would make sense for them to try and cripple his legs, seeing how much trouble he's giving them with just his two feet." Mercury rubs his chin, playfully taunting Emerald with a wise look.

Emerald leans closer to him and whispers, "I will take apart your legs in your sleep."

"Is that an invitation?"

"Shut. Up."

**Despite being restrained, Rama is still quick-footed and has the strength to claw his way out of Baseball Bat man's grip, ducking behind him just as Hammer girl tries to bash his head in. Her hammer stops short from her brother's face, causing her to pause briefly before attacking over the side of her brother to reach Rama.**

**With quick reaction, Rama draws the bat-wielding assassin's arm back to block the strike and interrupts her second attack with a direct kick to her elbow, pushing her back slightly. She stops her fall with her hands and lunged, pushing off the floor past her brother with an upward swing.**

"Nice block." Qrow compliments.

"That was a close call," Penny remarks on how close Hammer girl was to nailing her brother in the head. She tilts her head over to her creator and by extension, father. "Father, are you alright? You're looking a bit pale."

Dr. Pietro waves his hand, "Ah. I'm just not used to seeing this sort of fighting. Especially with how bloody this fight will be."

"Oh, trust me." Maria sighs, "You'll be watching more troubling viewings than this."

"I appreciate the heads up."

**Neither of her hammers landed, forcing her to spin back to catch her breath while her brother fiercely barrels his bat down onto the floor, bowing over from pain and exhaustion. The hammer-wielding assassin attempted to gain the high ground, stepping on her brother's back to slam down their opponent, only for Rama to grab her by the waist, and throwing her into a wall.**

"What the heck was that?" Yang gestured at the two assassins with a disbelieving expression.

"Exhaustion." Raven monotonously said.

"I've seen people fall over like that after a swing with their weapon." Tai supported, having worked at a combat academy with hot-headed children, there's no shortage of overexertion.

"Well, at least the girl tried her best to take advantage of that." Vernal sits back and relaxes; familiar with these sorts of fights in the lands beyond the four kingdoms and major settlements.

In the land outside the kingdom's walls, it's a fight to the death. Something she and the Branwen Tribe all experience.

**Hammer girl fell onto the ground heavily, knocking her sunglasses off her face, revealing a heavily scarred right eye. She struggles to get up, only able to watch her brother continue to fight with a heavy breath.**

Pyrrha gasps, "Her eye…"

"I wonder if that's a scar or a birthmark?" Vernal trace around one of her eyes. "No wonder she wears sunglasses, huh?"

**The bat-wielding assassin wildly roars as he slams into a nearby glass wall. He returns the favor by striking Rama in the face with the handle. Rama quickly recovers from the attack and shuffle back to avoid another swing, struggling to keep up with the bat-wielding assassin's blistering attack. He finally found the opportunity to put an end to the assassin's relentless attack, catching his bat under his armpit and headbutting him in the face before throwing him against the wall.**

"Nice counter." Neo's sign read. She turns to the other side. "Behind you."

**His moment was cut short as he turns around, unable to react in time to a hammer striking his legs, collapsing him to his knees. He retaliates by swiping his foot at her head, but the female assassin foresaw that, ducking and slashing at his chest. Rama flinches at the impact of her hammer striking his shoulder before evading another swing.**

**Exhaustion is starting to become a great hindrance to both sides, but none has taken the brunt of it like the hammer-wielding assassin. Her weapons have become more cumbersome, allowing Rama to grab her arms during a backswing, forcing his foot on her back to pin her down.**

"Their movements are starting to become clunky." Qrow observes, "Getting hit or thrown into the walls is quickly wearing them down."

"More so without aura." Dr. Oobleck adds.

"I don't like where this is going." Ruby whimpers, dreading the moment where they would finally kill each other. Her gut is telling her that someone is bound to die very soon, and that's making her uneasy.

Even after watching several viewings of people dying horribly, it still did not completely sit well with her. Nonetheless, despite her young age, she understands that taking a person's life is sometimes a necessity, though she hopes she would never have to resort to it.

"It's okay, Ruby." Yang comfort her sister, "Don't look."

Vernal shakes her head. "What a baby."

**Rama quickly fails to restrain the hammer-wielding assassin, not willing to lose his mobility on the ground while she flails with her hammers. This resulted in the assassin nearly breaking Rama's wrist with a kick, throwing him back in pain.**

**The hammer-wielding assassin quickly got to her feet and lunge at him. This proves to be a fatal move as exhaustions and Rama's tenacity allows him to gain an upper hand in the fight.**

**Grabbing her hand, and squeezing her face, Rama force the claws of her hammer into her neck, digging deep into her throat. Hammer girl's eyes widen, mouth agape. She trembles with shock and pain.**

**Blood slowly pouring out from her neck wound.**

Glynda's expression went grim, "I recommend those who are squeamish to look away. Now."

"You're all military or huntsmen and huntresses in training." Raven taunts, before eyeing the farm boy. "Along with a scientist working on military technology, an old lady, and a farm boy." Though, Raven suspects Maria to be a great huntress back in her youthful days. "I'm certain you'll get used to seeing some blood."

**Slowly regaining consciousness, the bat-wielding assassin took a few seconds to register what was happening. To his horror, his sister is as good as dead.**

"**N-no!" He cries, charging towards Rama; frantically trying to save his sister.**

**Too late. Rama mercilessly tore her throat out with her own weapon, showering the area with blood.**

Oscar went pale at the sight but felt numb at the sight of blood. Compare to his peers, some of them jerk their head away, not wanting to witness someone getting their throat torn out.

"How horrible," Elm said quietly.

"Yes. It is." Vine silently gives the decease a passing prayer, despite knowing that the female assassin is most likely not a good person.

**A maddening cry of vengeance and grief rips through the corridors as the last assassin went completely berserk at the death of his sister, viciously attacking Rama without restraint. The assassin strikes Rama on the wrist, hard, knocking out the hammer from his hand. He followed up his attack with a kick to Rama's chest, pushing him back before wildly swinging his bat with all his strength repeatedly.**

"Mad with grief." Ozpin knows just how devastating emotions can play into affecting others' actions. He's been on the receiving end after all; people like Salem, Hazel… The list goes on.

How would they react if someone close to them was killed before their eyes?

Yang, Tai, Qrow… They'll go absolutely insane trying to avenge their loved ones. Especially if that particular girl is someone name, Ruby Rose. They might even forsake self-preservation. The same could be said for Nora and Ren.

They all silently ponder about such a scenario while numbly watching the ongoing fight.

**The sudden fierceness the bat-wielding assassin exhibited forced Rama back, hastily evading each swing with urgency. However, with an evasion that landed on the wrong footing, the assassin instantly dealt a painful blow to Rama's side, throwing him into the floor.**

**Rama swiftly dodges an overhead swing, throwing himself to the side, but was met with a heavy blow to the chest, putting him into the floor. The bat-wielding assassin let out another battle cry, swinging down again.**

**Moving on instinct, Rama swipes his arm to nullify the swing and hook his leg around the assassin's neck, smashing his face into the floor. Another foot shot out, slamming the assassin into the wall. Rama quickly move his foot behind the assassin's head as leverage and disconnected the man's spine with a kick to the throat.**

**A horrible cracking sound could be heard as the assassin's head and neck went stiff. His face scrunched up in pain but couldn't move as he is paralyzed.**

Penny and Pietro gasp at that. "Oh my."

"Damn," Mercury said in awe. He should try that on someone one of these days.

**Rama rolls back with the bat in his hand and swings with all his might, crunching the assassin's skull in and in the process, shattering his neck. A burst of blood sprayed out, the shot spirals away from the impact to several meters down the corridor.**

"Urk!" Nora turns away, coughing as she chokes on her own salvia. By her side, Ren pats her on the back, making circular motions here and there.

"What's wrong with her? Don't tell me she got a headache from the camera movement? Whatever the Hosts use to record this." Vernal mocks the Valkyrie girl. "Or was it the blood and death that got her?"

Team JNPR shoots Vernal a glare but didn't say anything.

"Do not antagonize my students," Glynda said coldly.

**There, Rama breathed heavily, releasing his grip on the bat.**

**The assassin's body slowly slides down onto the floor, holding up a few inches away as the bat remains embedded into his caved in jaw and skull.**

Velvet went slightly green at the gruesome sight, "Urgh..."

"Here." Yatsuhashi hands her a newly conjure small cup of cool water.

"Thank you."

**Rama continues to remain motionless on the spot, breathing heavily. After a few moments of silence, Rama glances up and continues to make his way towards the white door that the two assassins had been guarding.**

The screen darkens and the light returns to the theater room.

"That was grisly." Robyn bluntly said, turning her head to Qrow. "And you guys watch more horrible things than that?"

"Yup." Popping the 'p', Qrow takes a small sip from his flask. "Watched a whole bunch of soldiers getting shredded by guns and bombs. Oh, and get burned to death."

"Oh boy…"

"My thoughts exactly."

"_Shall we continue?" _The Hosts asks, taking into account the younger audience member who might need some time to recover. _"The next viewing will not be as grim as this."_

Not one of them spoke up. The adults in general wanted the younger ones to make the decision as it affects them more than them. However, the silence drags on prompting Raven to roll her eyes and make the decision for them.

"I cannot…" She mutters something incomprehensible under her breath, "Just continue on to the next show. By then, all of you should be getting used to this."

Vernal snorts, "Seriously, they watched things bloodier than this."

"_We sense no discontent. We shall continue on to the next viewing."_

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**NEXT: Final Fantasy VII - Forgotten Forest Fight**

* * *

**Pardon my grammar. Point out any spelling mistakes, or mistakes in general if you would be so kind.**

**Transcript of Saving Private Ryan doesn't match up. Need to use sub, or relay on my horrible hearing to pick up on what they say... What are the characters in each scene are? Gah!**


	31. SHORT: 'Stupid' Little Red Riding Hood

**Inspire partially by Mrs. Refreshing Little Red Riding Hood AU and RWBY Chibi. Otherwise, it's an original. Semi-original (that word makes no sense).**

**Point out any spelling/grammar mistakes. This world is weird.**

**Pardon my grammar.**

**FIXED: Lien part along with sentence structure. Thank you OpKingDimond!**

**EDIT: Halfheartedly restructured some of the tenses.**

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**Fairy Tales - 'Stupid' Little Red Riding Hood**

* * *

"_Before we continue with our regular program. There's something interesting being broadcasted in an alternative reality of your world."_

"Interesting?"

"Alternative reality exists?" Marrow questions.

Harriet shrugs, "Probably. I mean, we're literally in another dimension watching other worlds."

"That's unsettling somehow."

"Is it another one of those meet the so and so viewings?" Coco asks, curious to see who would be next.

"_Not this one." _The Hosts tinkers with the screen, causing it to flicker. _"This alternative reality is a bit of an oddity. More so than any other, you might see for now. For one, some possess abilities that go beyond what semblance and Dust are capable of. You could call it, magic."_

Those who are aware of the existence of magic froze a bit.

"Sounds… Interesting?" Vernal manages, ignoring the glare from Raven. She raises a hand to defend herself from her leader's piercing glare. "Just saying."

"So… What's happening in that reality?" Jaune hopes nothing bad will be occurring to him and his friends.

"_It's a bit hard to explain, but to sum it up… In this particular timeline of this reality, Team RWBY is taking part in a fairy tale known as Little Red Riding Hood."_

Blake raises an eyebrow, "We're doing a play?"

"Plays are okay." Yang rhymes.

"Fairy tales?" Ozpin put up a knowing smile. "How interesting. I've never heard of that one before."

"Little Red Riding Hood? Sounds like Ruby." Tai joked at his youngest daughter.

"Dad!"

Yang nodded, "It kinda does."

"Yang!"

"_This fairy tale hails from another world with many variations. If you're interested, we can provide you a book that encompasses fairy tales and folklores from other worlds."_

"I'll gladly accept your offer." A large book floats down from the sky, to which Ozpin receives it. "Thank you."

"_Our pleasure." _The screen flickers once more, the theater room lights dim. _"Let us begin."_

**The scene opens up to a forest in Patch. The starting place of the fairy tale known as Little Red Riding Hood.**

**Narrating the story offscreen is none other than Professor Ozpin, who couldn't pass up this opportunity to spin another tale and many more to come. The scene slowly pans down to a medium-size cabin. The front door opens revealing Ruby Rose and her signature red hood.**

"Of course, it'll be Ruby." Yang snorted, "The red hood gives it away instantly."

Blake smirked, "It was pretty obvious."

"You guys, shush!"

**Ozpin begins narrating the story. "Deep in the forest of Patch lives Little Red Riding Hood and her father."**

"How fitting. I appear to be the narrator." Ozpin smiled, having told stories before to others in the past.

Raven scowled, "Yes, how fitting."

Yang quietly notes the sour note in her mother's tone. Once again, it has something to do with fairy tales. She'll get to the bottom of this when she has the chance.

**The young girl jumps down the small flight of stairs and hops away on the dirt path.**

"**Bye, dad!" Ruby waves goodbye to her father, skipping down the path while carrying a picnic basket and her trusty scythe.**

"**Be careful!"**

"**Or should we call her, Little Ruby Rose Hood." Ozpin chuckles.**

"**Hmm… Doesn't have the ring to it, Ozpin." Another voice interrupts his storytelling. A feminine voice: Salem's. "Our titular character has a rather rugged title, don't you agree?"**

Ozpin begins coughing upon hearing Salem's voice, unable to form cohesive words. His colleagues' eye him with concern; Glynda helps lessen his coughing by patting him on the back.

Cinder's eyes widen, knowing full well who this person is. Her master, "Salem…"

"Who's with Professor Ozpin?" Pyrrha asked, never hearing the woman's voice before.

**Ozpin sighed, "Salem, please don't interrupt me."**

Now, it's Ozpin's inner circle and Raven whose eyes became as large as saucers. Their reaction did not go unnoticed by those around him.

"Who's Salem?" Ruby innocently asked.

"_We cannot answer that question for the time being." _The adults who are aware of Salem's existence breathed a sigh of relief, for now.

"But what is she doing there?" Qrow quietly asked himself. "And why are you two narrating?"

Ozpin regained his composure, taking several steady sips from his mug to calm his nerves. "Our Hosts did happen to say that this weird is an oddity. We don't have much of a choice but to accept this."

"**You didn't answer my question~"**

"… **Yes, the name doesn't have the same effect as Little Red Riding Hood. Moving on." He cleared his throat and continues his narration. "Where was I? Ah, yes." Ruby pulls her signature red hood over her head and hums a cheery tone while swaying her scythe that's carrying her picnic basket. "Little Ruby Rose Hood is off to see her grandma," Ozpin quickly corrected himself, stifling a laugh at his mistake while Salem let out an amusing snort. "err… Uncle Qrow."**

"Pfft!" Raven and Tai couldn't hold back their laughter and pointed at the huntsman, much to his chagrin.

"Very mature. Tai, Rae." Qrow grumbled, shooting the two of them a spiteful glare. "I can see you smirking, Winter."

Winter turned away, her small smirk turning into a full-grown icy grin.

"I never saw my sister smile like that…" Weiss numbly took notes of her sister's demeanor.

"Maybe she and uncle Qrow –" Yang starts but was quickly shot down by Weiss.

"No. Just, no."

"**Entrusting her with a basket full of food and drinks, her father warns her about three things: Don't stray from the path."**

**Ruby passes by a bush, taking no notice of a dark-colored wolf ear poking out from the leaves.**

"How did I miss something so obvious?" Ruby complained to herself.

"I spy with my little eye, Blake." Yang nudged at the cat faunus.

Blake frowned, "Those ears are slightly different than mines."

"**Don't talk to strangers." The bush rustle as the shadowy figure steps out onto the path and approaches Ruby from behind.**

**Ruby slows down, her instinct telling her that someone or something is approaching her. The figure menacingly closes in behind her, hands reaching out.**

Yang faked a gasp, "Oh, no. Behind you, Ruby."

"**And lastly, should she encounter a wolf…"**

**She turns around with a curious expression, coming face to face with a wolf faunus-like Oscar whose eyes gleam with hunger. Without hesitation, Ruby swung her scythe overhead, bringing it down on his head with a frightening expression.**

**Oscar yelps, collapsing onto the ground and curling up into a ball, clutching his head in agony. His wolf ears twitch, his tail trembling as he lays there whimpering on the ground.**

"**Well… He's not too worried."**

"Wait, what?" Oscar and Team RWBY look baffled by the sudden turn of events.

"Those wolf ears and tails… They're not fake." Velvet notes how they twitch and move with life.

"_That is because they are real." _The Hosts steps in to explain, _"Just like how we're able to create objects seemingly out of nowhere, those wielding magic can perform similar feats, albeit extremely limited compare to what we are capable of."_

"You're saying that Oscar is a wizard in this reality?!" Nora squeals, eyes shining bright.

"_Correct."_

"Yeeeeeee! Wizard boy!"

Ozpin and his inner circle, Raven, and Cinder's group kept this implication to themselves.

Blake leans back in her chair. "Somehow, that would explain the multiple animal traits that Oscar has."

"How does that even work?" Oscar skeptically asks the Hosts.

"_It'll take a considerable length of time for us to explain. For now, it would be in everyone's best interest to continue watching."_

"I would rather hear their explanation than watch this." Cinder mumbles to herself.

**Ruby stands over him triumphally, red cape billowing in the wind. After a few seconds pass before Ruby winces at what she had done, "Whoops. I think I hit him too hard."**

"How could you be so cruel to a minor?" Weiss asks her leader, half-joking.

"Wh-what? Me?" Ruby gasps at the accusation, she stops when she saw the heiress smirking. "Weiss!"

Yang laugh, a single bark. "Who knew Ice Queen could joke."

"I hope my other self doesn't have a concussion."

"**Yes. Quite the brute she is, just like her sister." Salem remarks offscreen, "Just what are you teaching your students, Ozpin?"**

"Hey!" Ruby and Yang indignantly cry out at Salem's remark.

"**Salem, you can't just sneak up on a huntress-in-training like that."**

"**But to have such a violent reaction?"**

**The two bickers offscreen while Ruby frantically hovers around Oscar, unsure if she can even perform first aid for blunt force trauma.**

"I told you we should have included a more in-depth mandatory First Aid course for our first years," Glynda whispers to Ozpin. "Having the basic downs isn't good enough, especially with blunt force trauma."

"The council mistakenly assumes that first-year students do not encounter the same hardship as their older peers, which is why they cut back some of our funding for those courses." Ozpin sighs, "I'll write up a proposal and theoretical scenario for the council to reconsider when we get back."

"They argue like a married couple," Robyn said regarding Salem and Ozpin. Said statement from Robyn caused Ozpin to breathe incorrectly, making him cough haphazardly again.

**/-/**

"**Professor Ozpin and that creepy pale lady are still at it," Ruby notes, glancing at something offscreen with a slightly amused expression. "Well, guess we'll have to continue the story without their narration." She rubs Oscar's bandaged head while he eats a sandwich Ruby had given to him from her picnic basket. "Hopefully, uncle Qrow will be awake and not completely wasted by the time we get there."**

"Ruby, how could you?" Qrow looks betrayed, "Have you always been like this behind my back?"

Ruby vehemently denies it, "N-no! That's not me uncle Qrow. Well, technically she is me, but not me-me."

**Oscar chews and swallows a piece of his sandwich. "Isn't he always drinking?"**

**Far off, Ozpin and Salem were still arguing about something, though their conversation has grown distant and inaudible.**

"**Yup." She said, popping the 'p' as they went along their merry way. "Something about drowning his sorrow and bad luck." She waves a finger at him, "But! He's a cool uncle! Even if he's wasted most of the time, he can still kick butt!"**

"**Cool."**

Winter rubs her temple irritated, "Somehow, I knew you would be relegated to drinking such unpleasant beverages 24/7."

"Oi. At least I'm still an amazing and cool uncle while still able to beat just about everything is thrown my way while drunk. Including you, Ice Queen." Qrow glance at Weiss, "Not you, mini Ice Queen."

Marrow gesture at Winter and Qrow. "Sounds like those two have a history together."

"It would seem so." Vine nods, "Though, let's not pry into it for the time being."

"**After taming the 'big bad' wolf, Little Ruby Rose Hood, I honestly prefer Little Red Riding Hood, and her newly found companion continue on with their journey to her uncle's house." Salem narrates, having temporarily overtaken Ozpin's role as the narrator. "Hmm… I believe we'll be needing another antagonist since the previous one isn't up to the task."**

**Ruby shot Salem a withering glare, "People can't be 'tame,' evil lady."**

"**Everything can be tame, to a certain degree."**

"**I'm the narrator here, and we're keeping this age-appropriate." Ozpin said, taking back control of his role. "Now then, so… Little Ruby Rose Hood and Oscar, the wolf continued on their way, even though we have completely diverged on the story, to uncle Qrow's house."**

"Sounds like this Salem woman isn't a good person." The fact that Ruby calls her evil with full conviction speaks volumes on the type of character this mysterious woman is.

_That would be an understatement. _Was the thought of Ozpin's inner circle and Raven.

"Suppose this person name Salem is of questionable character." Ironwood lowkey tries to get some answers out of the Hosts regarding why Salem is there with Ozpin. "How and why is she there? If she's proven to be a danger. If she does prove to be a dangerous individual, I mean."

"_We cannot answer that for the time being."_

"**Yeah, we've completely messed up this fairy tale, didn't we?" Ruby looked embarrassed, "We do need another wolf since you're with me now."**

"Nice going, sis. I bet the story isn't even halfway done and you already messed it up."

"I had never taken theater class before." Ruby rebukes, "How was I supposed to know?"

"**Remind me again why I'm the wolf?" Oscar asks, trailing by Ruby's side like a puppy with his tail wagging. "Wouldn't Blake make a better fit? Maybe even Jaune?"**

**They hop over on the stones to cross over a shallow creek, continuing the dirt path that appears to be the only trail in these woods.**

Yang did find that odd. "Yeah. Why isn't Blake the wolf?"

"Is it because I'm a faunus?"

"W-well, not that… I mean."

Blake snorts, "I'm joking." Quelling the uneasiness that she might have inflicted. "I also wonder about that too. Guess we're about to see."

"**Blake was complaining about something regarding being a faunus, but I saw her sneaking off with that secret book of hers. She just wants to read her book in peace, so she's out. As for Jaune, well… Dr. Oobleck wanted him to be in this Joan of Arc historical legend thing."**

"Secret… Book?" Her teammates turn towards the cat faunus, who shy away from their stare. "What secret book?"

"I-it's nothing. Probably doesn't exist in our reality."

Dr. Oobleck raises his hand. "What's this about a historical legend?"

"Joan of Arc? Is that my ancestor or something?"

The Hosts silently converse with Dr. Oobleck and Jaune to spare the rest of the audience, seeing how much dialogue is starting to split their attention.

**Ruby scratches her head, trying to remember what the history teacher wants with Jaune. "As for everyone else, Ren is out of the equation because of Nora, Pyrrha wouldn't make a good big bad wolf, Weiss has a part to play in another fairy tale…"**

"I'm sorry!" Pyrrha apologies across the aisle. The Mistralian champion is too nice to play the antagonists, for the most part.

"**What about Yang?"**

"**Heeey! Did somebody call me?" Yang jumps out from behind a tree, startling both of them. She was dressed in a plaid red shirt and dark brown overalls, completely out of her style considering what she normally wears. On one hand, she held a steel axe with a wooden shaft. "You know, Coco would have a massive heart attack if she saw this."**

Yang recoils while her friends and family members laugh at on-screen Yang's outfit. "That is not my style!"

"It's not that bad," Coco admits, making the blond brawler feel slightly better.

"**Yang?! What are you doing here?"**

**Yang made a finger gun, mimicking a clicking sound as she fires off her pun. "Nuh-uh! Let me be the one to 'axe' you the question here."**

**Little Ruby Rose Hood stood there, frozen on the spot for a brief moment before drawing her scythe with a 'schwing' sound causing Oscar to yelp in fright.**

**There was no light in her eyes. Just lifeless, dull silver eyes.**

"**Let me 'axe' you instead."**

"Uh oh." Jaune gulps.

Tai, Qrow, and Raven shivers; reminiscing the time Summer finally snaps due to the Branwen's antics. It was one of the most terrifying days of their lives.

"Little Red makes everything red." Read Neo's sign.

"Can't blame her if she's been living with those puns for years." Said Roman, making a mental note to be wary of the crimson reaper.

Team RWBY, barring their team leader, scoots away slowly from Ruby.

"What? What?! That's not me!" Ruby groans, "Why is this happening to me?"

"**Whoa! Whoa! Hang on there!" Yang defensively brought her axe in front of her, knowing that it wouldn't protect her from her sister. "Don't go axe crazy on me now, Rubes! Ruby? Ruby?!"**

**The blond girl scrambles off into the dense woods for her life while her sister pursues her in a blur of red.**

**Yang's cries and pleas were muffled by Salem's narration, who sounds like she's enjoying the show. "And so, Little Red Rose Hood chase the woodcutter throughout the forest on her quest to end the endless torment that is the woodcutter's puns."**

"Our puns are wonderful, thank you very much." Tai felt the urge to step up and defend their family puns.

"For your sake, Tai. I would recommend you tune down the number of puns you and Yang make." Qrow suggests, "Like, really. You're going to drive someone crazy soon."

"I'm with my little brother on that one."

"You secretly love my puns."

"I do not!"

"**Stop corrupting the story with your narration!" Ozpin snaps at his former wife, "Oscar! Take this box of freshly bake cookies and give it to Miss Rose before she siblicide Miss Xiao Long!"**

**A pink solid box was thrown offscreen at Oscar who caught it, juggling it in the air as he tries to get a firm hold on it. "G-got it! Ruby! Wait! I have cookies!"**

**Oscar took off into the forest after the girl in red with a box of cookie tuck in one arm.**

"Glad to see you're taking care of my nieces, Oz." Qrow set aside his flask, already determining that this viewing couldn't be forgotten with any drink he could handle.

"That poor boy." Glynda shakes her head, "He's going to have to deal with their mischief."

"At least it's nothing compare to the staggering number of incidents you have to handle daily," Ozpin said smilingly.

"**I'm enjoying this too much. I should come to visit you and your students ever so often."**

"**I'd rather you not."**

Ironwood looked half concerned, half-joking. "She's been visiting you?"

"No, she has not." Ozpin flatly replies, looking unamused. "I wouldn't be in Vale if she was."

Nora sharp ears pick up on that, "I bet she's Professor Ozpin's ex-wife." She shares with her teammates.

**/-/**

**The scene cuts to Ruby and Yang sitting on a wooden bench just to the side of the dirt path, while Oscar continues to stand, holding a map with both hands. The forest is now peaceful and quiet after the intense game of lethal tag with the sisters ended. Only the sound of Ruby gluttonously devouring an entire box of cookies could be heard within the forest.**

"**We're lost, aren't we?" Yang asks, leaning back on the bench.**

"**We shouldn't be," Oscar replies, turning the map slightly. "At worst, the trail leads to somewhere at least."**

Weiss pats Oscar on the head, "I too, sometimes feel like I'm the only sane person on my team. Occasionally Blake as well."

"Hey." Blake took offense to that. She's perfectly normal.

"Are you guys always like what's shown?" Team RWBY went silent by his question, too embarrassed and unsure of what to say. "I'm taking that as a yes."

**Yang groans and place rests her head on her hand, "You guys literally had one simple job, and that's not to stray from the path."**

"**That was your fault," Ruby said in between mouthful of cookies, before swallowing it all in one big gulp. "Your puns were driving me crazy."**

"**I'm submitting you to a psychologist after this."**

"**I don't need one. Whatever that is."**

"Hmm…" Weiss cups her chin thoughtfully, "That might be a good idea."

Ruby shot her partner a glare, "Excuse you, but I'm perfectly fine."

"Your affection for weapons tells us otherwise."

"**Hey, um. Guys." Oscar meekly calls them over, "If this map is correct…" He traces his finger on the map, then slowly points towards a densely tree populated area. "Your uncle's house should be a few meters away behind those trees."**

"**Wait, really?"**

"What are the odds?" Qrow whistles.

Tai nods, remembering the time Yang and Ruby were almost killed by Grimm in the forest. Granted it was back when they were young, but the fear is still there. "Glad they didn't get lost in the forest."

**Ruby and Yang got up from their seat and stroll over towards the tree, smoothly cutting down the trees with their axe and scythe. Not soon after, across a small cliff and river lies a modest-looking small house with metal fence.**

"**Oh, wow. I never knew uncle Qrow's house is nearby this area." Ruby hoist up her basket and started to make her way towards the house.**

"**I'm surprised he even has a house," Yang mutters under her breath.**

Yang is in an agreement with her on-screen counterpart. "I did find that weird too."

"I heard that, you brat." Qrow growls.

Raven and Tai chuckle at Yang's remark.

"Even your nieces, huh?" Winter smirks at the huntsman's annoyance.

**The trio crossed over the shallow river on a fallen tree, climbing up the small cliffside before arriving at the fenced gates of Qrow's house. Solid metal fences as tall as Yang serve as a deterrence for animals and Grimm, along with unwelcome visitors.**

**There's even a signpost that read 'Huntsman's Residence. Trespass at your own risk' that's staked behind the fence.**

"I can easily picture you setting those up." Ironwood poke fun at Qrow.

Qrow huffs, "Yeah, yeah. International Insult Qrow Day."

"**Yay, we made it! Even though we completely upended the fairy tale we were supposed to act." Ruby pulls out a metal key and unlocks the metal gate to let them in. "Uncle Qrow! We're here!"**

**The front door clicks, slowly opening to reveal…**

**Weiss Schnee in her combat attire, covered over by a woolly dark green cape that old ladies wear, along with a pair of spectacles with its lens removed.**

"**Weiss?!" The three of them were taken aback by the heiress's unexpected appearance.**

"Wait, Weiss?"

Winter did a doubletake, "What is my little sister doing at your home?!"

"Whoa, take it easy!" Qrow backs away from the enraged specialists.

"Calm down." Glynda snaps at them, "There must be a good explanation for this."

"**Do you really need to yell?" Weiss snaps, covering her ears with a scowl. "I can hear you perfectly fine, despite playing the role of your grandmother."**

"**What are you doing at uncle Qrow's house?"**

"Yes. Why is she there?" Winter asks coldly. The air around her got chilly.

"Please, let it be a good reason," Weiss begs.

**She raises a finger at them, "One, this is actually Professor Ozpin's forest observatory, I read the copy of the property's deed. Two, your uncle was too intoxicated and had to be replaced with yours truly. And three, we're still in need another 'big bad' wolf" She air quotes, "to continue this story."**

"Oh." Winter sat back in her chair, looking content as if nothing happened.

"I hope you're happy." Qrow grunts. He turns to Ozpin, "You didn't tell us you have a forest observatory in Patch."

"To my knowledge, I don't."

"Huh, guess uncle Qrow got too drunk again." Ruby casually remarks.

Weiss rolls her eyes, "Sounds like a common occurrence."

**They all enter the house, finding the interior surprisingly larger than what its exterior has shown.**

"**Huh. Makes sense." Yang pulls out a chair and takes a seat at what appears to be the dining room. "Uncle Qrow would never settle down in a place like this. No bar or brewery for miles here."**

Qrow couldn't argue with Yang's statement, "I'll give you that, firecracker."

"**Am I still playing the part of the big bad wolf?"**

**Weiss huffs, "I wish. Unfortunately, someone fax us another edited script and replaced you with Blake. I don't know who, but that just makes things more complicated."**

**Ruby's eyes widen slightly and turn away, trying to look as innocent as possible.**

All three of her teammates stares at the girl beside them.

"It wasn't me." Ruby denies.

**Oscar seemed content with that, "So, where is she?"**

"**Zwei is tracking her down." Weiss opens her scroll and checks the time. "He should be arriving with her about… Now."**

**The door swung open, and Zwei enters the house, somehow carrying Blake on his head.**

"**Woof!"**

"**Aww, good boy." Weiss gushes as the corgi throws Blake off; she lands face-first into the hard floor. "Who's a good boy? You are! Yes, you are!"**

"That dog is evil." Blake hiss.

Marrow snorts at Blake's remark, being a dog faunus.

"Aw, I miss Zwei." Ruby mops, remembering that their corgi is still back in Remnant.

"Who knew the ice queen can be melted to this extent?" Mercury snickers at the heiress's 180-degree turn in her demeanor.

"Exploitable." Cinder smirks.

**Blake picks herself up from the floor and brushes her clothes while scowling at Weiss and Zwei. "You two are just the worse."**

"**Glad you could drop by, Blakey. Now, let's go finish up this fairy tale!"**

"**Okay, really?" She waves her partner off, then gestures at the farm boy possessing wolf ears and tail. "Why am I the wolf? You already have Oscar."**

"**Duh! Because you're half animal! This part was made for you." Ruby quickly said, sliding over to Oscar.**

"**What about Oscar? He literally has more animal traits right now than any other faunus I ever known!"**

"My other self is right, and you guys literally have him by your side!" Blake points at the farm boy on-screen. "Wolf ears and tails, right there!"

"Yes, Blake. We can see that."

"Still not sure how this magic thing works," Oscar mutters under his breath.

"**No, he doesn't. It's all a magic trick." Ruby whispers something to Oscar and pulls her red cloak over him. "Tada!" She pulls her cloak back, revealing Oscar without his wolf ears and tails. "See? Now, he's not a wolf anymore."**

Team JNPR, CVFY, Sun, and Neptune all clap at that.

"Nice one. I think." Sun scratches his head with his monkey tail.

"Hah. Denied." Yang gently elbows her friend with a wide grin.

**Blake shot them a displeased look before resigning to her role as the big bad wolf. "This is bull…" She grumbles, "Stupid magic tricks and hocus pocus. What's next? Somebody gets to turn into a bird?"**

**Her grumbling palpably overheard by Ruby, whose eyes gleam at the idea of turning someone into a bird. The crimson reaper swivels her head back to Oscar with an expression that practically screams 'I have an idea!'**

Qrow and Raven all pause at that. "You have got to be kidding me."

"Is that even possible?"

"It's magic, duh!" Nora waves it off.

Ozpin allows himself to smile at that, "Magic. How convenient."

"**Have a treat, Zwei." Weiss coos, handing him two doggy treats.**

**Blake comes stomping over, pulling the heiress away. "Come on, I want this stupid story over with."**

"Guess we'll have a new ice queen soon beside Weiss and her sister." Yang laughs at the expense of her partner.

"**Sheesh. Someone is throwing a hissy fit."**

"**Shut up, Yang. Get into position. I don't want to redo this." Blake glances around, "Where's Ruby?"**

"**I'm right here!" Ruby jumps into the scene with an adorable Pine Siskin on her shoulder. "Chop, chop! Let's do this and then go back to our dorms!"**

Oscar blinks, "Is that me on her shoulder?"

"_It is."_

"How adorable!" Nora and Weiss exclaim.

**/-/**

**Weiss laid on a soft bed, fake reading a dictionary book as it was the only reading material in the room aside from Blake's smut.**

**A soft knocking came from the door, to which the heiress answers.**

"**Yes? Oh, hello there." She monotonously greeted Blake, the big bad wolf. "How did you get in the house, stranger?"**

"**Hello, Little Ruby Rose Hood's grandmother," Blake replies just as unenthusiastically, her tone somehow flatter than Weiss's.**

Roman and Neo burst out laughing, "Well, this is beyond sad."

"They look dead inside." Vernal couldn't help but snicker at their misfortune.

"Kill me." Blake groans.

"I get the feeling that our other selves have been at this for a while…"

"**Do I know you? Also, you didn't answer my question."**

"**Your granddaughter let me… Gah! Forget this! Get into the closest grandma!" Blake stomps into the room, picking Weiss off the ground and rolling her up in a bedsheet. Surprisingly, Weiss didn't even utter a single protest. "Look! Even Weiss stopped complaining about this! We've been at this for twelve takes already, Ruby! Let's call it a wrap! We don't even know where Professor Ozpin or that creepy lady went!"**

Most of the students and several adults laugh at the display, while others were taken aback by how many takes they were already at, or the reference about Salem.

"Twelve takes?" Fox repeated, "For the same scene?"

"**Guys! Come on! Just a few sentences and we'll be back home!" Ruby whines, careful not to squish the Pine Siskin nested in the makeshift pouch of her hood.**

**Weiss's muffle voice quiver behind the wrapped-up bedsheet, before unraveling herself from the roll. "Who rewrote this stupid script anyway?"**

"**I did. Thank you very much!" Ruby points at herself, looking very sassy.**

"**Wait, so it wasn't Professor Ozpin or his creepy pale girlfriend?" Asked Yang with a steely tone.**

Ozpin sputters at that. Across the aisles, Raven laughed at the ancient wizard's suffering while his colleague tended to his need.

"Told you." Nora sang.

Ren shakes his head, "That doesn't confirm anything."

"**Uhh…" Ruby paused, thinking of a way to get out of this entanglement. "It was approved by one of them."**

"**Riiight." Her sister takes out their script and flips through some of the lines. "No wonder. This Little Red Riding Hood's rewrite is a total Mary Sue character."**

**Ruby's jaws drop, "What?!"**

**Yang reread the heavily edited version of their script, with fake innocent and cutesy eyes. "'Loved by many and known for her hood?' Yeah, you totally based her off yourself. More so than the original version."**

"**I'll say," Weiss added into the fire with a smirk.**

**Blake, Weiss, and Yang watches in amusement as Ruby made a series of aggravating sound, angrily grinding at the metal shaft of her scythe.**

Tai winces, never seeing his youngest daughter get this bothered. "Oh, no."

"**Is it that time of the month again?" Yang asks with genuine curiosity. "No wonder you're so easily irritated and violent today."**

"That would explain a lot." Blake mumbles.

Weiss nods, "Indeed."

Ruby pulls her hood over her head in embarrassment.

"**Yang!"**

"**Hold up." Weiss glances around, "I see Zwei, but where's Oscar?"**

**The small Pine Siskin peek its head up from its resting position and chirps.**

"**Oh, he's right here." Ruby pats him on the head with a finger.**

"**You're kidding me." Blake deadpans, "You have to be kidding me. He can do that?"**

"My thoughts exactly." Qrow, Raven, and Blake said simultaneously.

"Am I some sort of finch?" Leave it to Oscar to ask the real questions.

"**Don't sink your fang into him, kitty." Yang teases her partner. "I saw what you did to that fish you caught last week."**

**Ruby sighs, pinching her forehead. "Guys, we're getting off track." She glances over to Weiss who had her entire attention to bird form Oscar. "Weiss, Oscar, Yang. Go offstage. We're skipping Act 15 and starting at Act 16."**

**A loud knock from the front door caught everybody's attention.**

"I wonder who that could be." Velvet muses.

"Place your bets." Coco jokingly takes off her beret and shakes it for her teammates to place Liens in.

"We don't have any Lien to pay with." Yatsuhashi points out.

"I know, I'm pulling your legs."

**They file out of the room, curious who their guest is. The front door clicks and swung open.**

**Glynda Goodwitch has entered the scene.**

"Glynda enters the left stage." Qrow dramatically read from an imaginary script. "Or however they put it on those papers."

"Guess I make another appearance," Glynda huffs, "cleaning up all your messes."

**Her eyes narrow down on Team RWBY, making them gulp. "Children. Have you seen Professor Ozpin?"**

Ironwood chuckles, "Better run, old friend."

"Humorous." Ozpin deadpans, "Though that does beg the question about my whereabouts." In truth, he doesn't want to know. He really, really doesn't want to know. "I shudder to imagine…"

"Along with her who must not be named," Qrow adds.

"**Professor Ozpin?" Yang blinks twice, "I haven't heard from him in a while after I got chase by Ruby into the forest…"**

**Their headmaster and the creepy pale Grimm lady simply stopped talking afterward.**

"**Yeah, he suddenly got quiet along with that lady. What was her name again? I think he calls her Salem, or something with an 'S'. Weird name."**

Sun tilts his head slightly to the side, "Oh yeah, I thought something was missing."

"Is Salem a color or something?" Jaune looks to his teammates for an answer, all of whom were unsure by that.

Nora rubs her chin, tapping upon her brain. "Is the name Ozpin a color?"

**Glynda's expression barely changes, "I see." She turns her back and was about to leave the door before she pauses. "Wait, aren't you all supposed to be in class?"**

**The entirety of Team RWBY's pupil shrink as Glynda veers her head towards them. The girls shot each other panicking glances.**

"They're skipping class?" Glynda's voice was taut.

"Have you been skipping your classes?" Winter asks her younger sister.

"I never do such a thing." Weiss proudly proclaims. Though deep down, she would do such a thing if it's necessary, just for her teammates.

**Having no way to weasel their way out of this one, their team leader has one thing to say: "Cheese it!"**

**They took off. With the exception of Yang, everyone utilizes their semblance to make a speedy getaway while the poor blond brawler was instantly caught by Glynda.**

"**No! You guys! Help me!"**

"**Every girl for herself!"**

Yang pretends to be grumpy, "You're all dead to me." There are times where she wishes she has a speed semblance instead. Literally, all her teammates could flash step but her.

"That won't save you either way," Blake said in amusement.

"Escaping from Glynda is an impossible task." Said Qrow, earning him a look from his peers. "Trust me, we tried."

Raven groans, "I thought we agree never to speak or acknowledge that."

"You have got to tell me what happens!" Yang ditches her grumpy façade, "No take backs! You too, dad, mom."

**Their screams of terrors echo throughout the forest of the house as Team RWBY scatters across the dense wood, leaving bird-form Oscar and Zwei alone in the house. Oscar flew out of the house, transforming back to his original human form and glance around the overturn forest.**

"**Well, this is a mess." He rubs his head and turns his head to Zwei.**

"**Woof!" The corgi agrees.**

"What an understatement. The play went off track within two lines!" Tai laughs, "That has got to be a new record!"

Blake's cat ears flick up, "Not something to be proud of, but okay."

Oscar scratches his cheek. "The Hosts weren't kidding when they said this reality was weird."

"Probably one of the weirdest one so far," Ruby admits.

"Nonsensical would be the correct term."

"**Guess we'll have to end this with a curtain call." They both face the screen and bow. Red curtains suddenly close over the scene, ending the viewing.**

The screen darkens and the lights return to the theater room.

"That was something." Clover chuckles.

Port nods, "Quite enjoyable, I must say."

"And weird." Oscar added in, "Very weird."

"I'm embarrassed." Ruby groans, putting both hands over her face. "All because of my teammates."

"You brought this upon yourself." Weiss teases, referencing the on-screen Ruby tampering with the play scripts. "Well, your other self brought it upon herself."

"Ahupupup! Not hearing it, I want to move on! Next!"

"_Very well. Moving on to the next viewing."_

* * *

**Pardon my grammar.**

* * *

**Point out any spelling mistakes/grammar, if you would be so kind.**


	32. FFVII Advent Children - Forest Fight

**I'm back, for a short while. Sorry for the delay.**

**Pardon my grammar, please help me resolve some of those by letting me know.**

* * *

**Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children - Forgotten Forest Fight **

* * *

"What're we watching?" Elm asked in-between bites of her meal. "A good fight?"

"_You shall see. Do not be alarm by the sudden changes on the screen. We are situating ourselves into the dimensions we'll be observing." _The massive theater screen flickered and warped internally, displaying colorful splats before reverting to its monotonic dark screen.

Cinder couldn't help but draw up a question regarding what had just happened, "Is there a reason why your screen is… How do I describe it?"

"Adjusting?"

"Glitchy?"

While not exactly the refined vocabulary Cinder was looking for, both of their vocabulary suggestions sort of fit the bill. "What my teammates said."

"_This world contains a considerable number of active gods, goddesses, and other powerful beings who may not be benevolent. As such, we've taken measures to secure our own dimension so that we do not disturb them, hence the screen's distortion."_

"You're saying we're at risks if those beings take notices of us?" Raven said steadily, not liking where this was going.

"_No risks or harms shall befall upon any of our guests. We will protect and hide you if such a thing were to occur and the world in which hail from will remain elusive from outsiders, we assure you. It is the other gods and their world that we wish not to unintentionally alarm or harm."_

Ozpin understood what the Hosts are trying to say, "You wish to observe, not influence in any way. If trouble arises, it's their world that'll be in danger."

"_Correct."_

"How thoughtful," Raven grumbled.

Jaune meekly raised his hand. "Um, if it's okay to ask, how will you protect us?"

"_We're no strangers in participating in conflicts." _The Hosts answered, _"Perhaps in due time, you shall know more about us. For now, let us observe this world and its inhabitants."_

The Hosts' response left a lot of questions, but their thoughts were interrupted as the lights dimmed and the dark screen flickered to life.

**Deep in a luminescent forest, a blond young man with blue eyes, dressed in a black zipper jacket silently drove through the forest on Fenrir, his personal motorcycle. This young man is Cloud Strife, and his mission was to locate and rescue the missing children that are believed to be in this forest. A forest that is filled with glowing white crystal trees.**

"A glowing crystal forest?!" Nora bounced up from her seat. "No fair! Why doesn't Remnant have one? Renny, I want to move to this forest. Cut down some trees, and make a nice glowing cabin!"

"I don't think that's possible."

"It's beautiful." Pyrrha softly gasped at the sight of the crystal forest.

"Hey, hey, pretty boy! Nice ride!" Yang hollered, despite knowing he won't hear her.

**Cloud was conflicted; in deep thoughts.**

**His eyes were downcast before sensing danger, snapping his attention ahead just in time to see a muzzle flash followed by a whizzing bullet. He pulled on Fenrir's handle, jerking his motorcycle to the side, avoiding several more bullets. He maneuvered his bike through hails of bullets and deep-water puddles, finally spotting his attackers.**

"And he's immediately ambushed." Marrow snarked.

**The three 'Remnants' or manifestation of Sephiroth's will and spirit: Kadaj, Loz, and Yazoo. The trio all share a similar appearance. Smooth silver hair, fair skin, and green eyes with cat-like pupils.**

**Their leader, Kadaj jumped down from one of the trees, landing behind and in-between his two 'siblings' with a small smile as they continued to fire at Cloud with their gunblades.**

"Found your distant relatives." Yang teased Weiss by tapping on her armrest.

Weiss half-scowled, but didn't take offense to Yang's remark for that would be underneath her. "Was that supposed to be funny?"

**The weapon storage of Cloud's motorcycle slid open, revealing several giant swords stored within Fenrir.**

Pietro nodded, "Impressive engineering."

"Yang…" Ruby whispered to her older half-sister, eyes shining very brightly.

"No."

"Yes."

"No. You're not turning Bumblebee into a monstrosity just to fit all our weapons in."

**Cloud grabbed his fusion sword and a greatsword before accelerating his motorcycle towards his opponents using his legs to steer his motorcycle into battle. On the opposite end, Kadaj began walking forward, drawing his signature katana that has a two-parallel blade, Souba. He signaled with his hand for Loz and Yazoo to cease firing and for the children infected with the geostigma to drop down from the treetops.**

"He's strong." Yatsuhashi was impressed by Cloud's arm strength to wield two massive swords like they are nothing. "Very much so."

**Numerous children started descending, impeding Cloud's path as they blankly stared at the oncoming motorcycle. All but one little girl named Marlene, glanced worryingly while still holding onto her friend's hand, Denzel. However, the young boy named Denzel appeared to be in a trance-like state, staring blankly with green cat-like pupils.**

"Children?!" Glynda choked.

"Where did they come from?!" Tai works as an instructor at Signal Academy, teaching children and teenagers how to fight. Aside from his two daughters, Tai takes his job seriously especially when there's any threat directed at his students. It was befitting of his reaction. "What are they doing there?!"

"They appear to be in some sort of trance, except for that girl." Vine calmly observed.

**Marlene took one glance at the incoming Cloud and futilely shield herself with one arm while still holding her ground, either not able to break free from Denzel's grasp or isn't willing to let go.**

"Turn!" Tai hissed.

Penny frowned, "At that speed and distant?"

**Regardless, Cloud was not going to plow through the kidnapped infected children.**

**He jerked his motorcycle sharply, sending himself flying onto the ground while his motorcycle skitters on its side through the dirt floor. The infected children scattered in all directions, narrowly avoiding a collision with Cloud's motorcycle; Cloud himself hit the ground and rolled over several times. He lost his fusion blade to the air, but he managed to retain his other sword.**

Tai and Yang winced, "Oooh…"

"Yeah. Something is off about those children." Said Fox.

"Their movements, lack of reactions, and expressions aren't quite there." Qrow nodded, "Almost like they're puppets."

Ozpin narrowed his eyes, "Very concerning."

**Kadaj casually walked towards Cloud, step jumping over the still-spinning Fenrir that continued to spin its way towards Loz and Yazoo. Loz, being the embodiment of Sephiroth's physical strength as seen with his brutish appearance, lives up to his part by putting Cloud's motorcycle into a sudden stop with just a foot.**

**Cloud slowly picked himself off the ground, stopping himself from fully getting up as Kadaj loomed over him with his two-parallel bladed katana in hand. Surrounding the silver-haired young man are the children infected with geostigma.**

"Wanna give us a name to their face?" Coco asked the Hosts.

"_The blond young man is Cloud Strife. The three silver-haired young men are the embodiment of Sephiroth's spirit and will. Their names are Kadaj, Loz, and Yazoo respectively."_

"I'm sorry, the embodiment of what or who?" Yatsuhashi and just about everyone shared the same confused look.

"_They are the manifestations of a powerful individual, Sephiroth. Kadaj is the embodiment of his cruelty; Loz, his strength; and Yazoo, his allure."_

"So, they're in a sense… Pieces of that individual?" Ren asked quizzically.

"_Correct."_

"**Glad you could make it." Kadaj cheerfully and sarcastically greeted Cloud, leaning over him, eyes flashing very briefly.**

**Cloud wasn't up for dealing with Sephiroth's remnants, stating his objective with a glare. "I'm here for the children."**

**Kadaj leaned back with a grin, circling around Cloud. "See this man?" He asked the children around him. "He's our big brother, but alas…" The silver-haired remnant stopped circling and pointed his blades at Cloud who returned it with a defiant glare. "In our happy flock, he's what you call a black sheep." He slowly drew Souba back, ready to cut down Cloud.**

"What are they? A cult?" Roman shook his head, "And a creepy one that kidnaps children."

Velvet's ears twitch slightly from the tension, "They certainly sound the part."

"**Cloud!" Someone called out in the forest, causing Kadaj to swiftly turn around with a defensive stance, allowing Cloud to grab his greatsword. **

"What luck." Said Qrow and Clover. The two glanced at each other before smirking at each other.

**With a grunt, Cloud calculatedly swung his sword at Kadaj making him leap out of the sword's reach. The children scattered out of sight as the fight between the trio and Cloud kicked off.**

"Good." Glynda breathed out a sigh of relief.

Tai nodded, "Hear, hear to that."

**Yazoo immediately fired his gunblade as Cloud was facing Kadaj, forcing the former 1st Class SOLDIER turned mercenary to block the bullets with his greatsword. The alluring silver-haired young man continued firing at Cloud while Loz let out a snort and charged towards the mercenary.**

**Loz's body was suddenly coated in a blur of white and blue, seemingly teleporting side to side along with Yazoo's bullets.**

"A speed semblance? Wait, do they have semblances in their world?" Harriet asked the Hosts. "Maybe by another name?"

"_They do not, but some possess abilities that may be similar to what you would call a semblance."_

"A world similar to ours, huh?" Qrow fiddled with his flask but didn't drink from it.

"_Indeed. It is similar and much more that is not, or could have been." _The Hosts cryptically replied.

"What's that supposed to mean?" But the Hosts didn't respond to Qrow's inquiry.

**Cloud continuously blocked all of Yazoo's bullets, keeping track of Loz's movement as the brute closes in on the mercenary. Cloud held off a few more bullets while standing his ground before Loz was upon him.**

**The brutish silver-haired man let out a roar, flitting towards Cloud with his fist barreling down. The blondie swiftly avoided the attack, sidestepping and spun away from the heavy strike before resuming his defensive stance, blocking another hail of bullets. Loz then blurred in front of Cloud among the bullets, throwing a kick that was blocked by the wide handle guard of Cloud's greatsword.**

"He's holding his own very well." Clover cupped his chin, "So far, that is. I wonder if he can keep up considering how heavy those swords look."

Elm leaned forward from her seat, "Guess we'll have to see."

**Loz's body lit up again, shimmering in pale blue light as his movement sped up; a punch, followed by a leaping dodge as Cloud countered his attack. Loz landed on his feet, the light around him fading before igniting again. His body blurred, delivering a powerful strike onto Cloud's sword, sending him flying back.**

**Cloud flipped and slid back on the dirt, keeping his footing while maintaining his glare on his opponents. Loz grinned, taunting and letting Cloud go on the offense. The blond mercenary leaped towards his opponent, his greatsword dragging in the air towards Loz. But the silver-haired brute is far from a mindless fighter as he quickly demonstrated with a backflip, grappling Cloud's arm with his foot and throwing him over.**

"Niiice." Mercury took note of that move. Sure, he doesn't have the same strength as Loz for certain, but that doesn't mean he can't perform a similar feat on lighter weight opponents.

**Cloud flew helplessly before landing on all fours, right where his fusion blade laid.**

"Bad move." Neo's sign read. She flipped it over, "Or is it?"

Emerald shook her head, "That was a bad throw. He has both of his weapons now."

"Or, it could be intentional." Cinder mused.

**He wasted no time to grab his fusion blade. At that exact moment, he heard a metallic clicking noise of Yazoo making his move. Cloud swiftly stood up and blocked Yazoo's downward slash with one of his swords, allowing Yazoo to cunningly exploit a hole in Cloud's defense by delivering a kick to Cloud's face.**

**The mercenary stumbled back, quickly recovering just in time to deflect all the bullets Yazoo could fire at him. Cloud remained quick on his feet, jumping into the air to throw off his opponent's aim and lunged towards the alluring silver-haired remnant. Yazoo casually drew his gunblade back and slapped the flat edge of his weapon on Cloud's heavy weapon, deflecting Cloud's attack with grace.**

Elm's eyebrows shot up, "That one is deceptively strong. You certainly wouldn't expect that kind of strength if you were to breakdown his fighting style."

"Guess being the embodiment of whatever gives them super strength." Marrow replied.

"That's something to take into consideration." Harriet nodded in agreement.

"I share the same thought." Vine joined in.

**Cloud staggered from the impact before quickly attacking Yazoo with a lower slash, cleaving into the ground. This in turn allowed Yazoo to use Cloud's sword as a ramp and vault over the mercenary.**

**Cloud hastily turned around with a swing, but Yazoo interrupted his strike with another upper back kick. However, Cloud managed to block with his handle guard and fought back. Not far off, Loz reared up a punch directed at the ground with his retractable gauntlet. He released his windup punch, striking the ground with an immeasurable amount of force, causing the ground to erupt into what could be described as a roaring tidal wave of soil and stones.**

"Okay, maybe I'll let you upgrade one of my gauntlets if you can make it do that."

Ruby squeezed her sister's hand. "Really?!"

"Don't go overboard."

Glynda overheard their conversations and sighed, "As if she wasn't already tearing up the city and campus."

Qrow and Tai laughed, "That's Yang for you."

**The tidal wave steadily advanced towards Cloud and Yazoo. The latter having disengaged in melee as the tidal wave was nearly upon them. Yazoo lowered his weapon with a smirk before backflipping over the wave of soil and stones, turning his gunblade on Cloud midair to keep him pinned down for Loz's attack.**

"Cool team attack." Nora bobbed her head.

"We have some of our own." Jaune pointed out, "We'll probably need more for the Vytal Festival. This gives me some idea…"

Pyrrha blinked, "We do?"

Ren looked confused, "What team attack?"

"…" Jaune slowly turned towards his teammates with an unreadable expression.

**But Yazoo cannot maintain his air time indefinitely and eventually landed behind the tidal wave, giving Cloud time to charge up his fusion blade. Fully charged, Cloud immediately unleashed a streaking crescent beam of blue and violet towards the tidal wave.**

"Awesome!" Ruby was fawning over Cloud's fusion sword.

Coco elbowed her big teammate, "Ever thought of upgrading your sword, Yats?"

"Impressive that display was, I'd still rather keep my weapon simple."

**The crescent beam exploded upon making an impact, covering the forest with dust and smoke. Their vision slightly impaired, but unimpeded as Loz blurred in front of Cloud to deliver a powerful punch as the mercenary was recovering. By instinct, Cloud narrowly blocked Loz's punch but was thrown back.**

**Cloud's silver-haired opponents didn't allow him any opportunities; Yazoo dropped down onto Loz's arm and was launched after Cloud.**

**Yazoo opened up with an initial shot from his gunblade, quickly discarding it in favor of attacking Cloud with the blade of his weapon. The mercenary found himself tagged team relentlessly by the two brothers as they danced around him; Yazoo's grace and range, Loz's strength, and speed. Quick and brief, not one was able to land a hit on one another outside of their weapons.**

"They're well-coordinated in their attacks," Ironwood noted.

"And not displaying much visual or audio cue." Winter coolly watched the combatants clash. "I suppose that's to be expected from them, considering what they are."

"They move almost as they're one," Vine added his thoughts in. "Perhaps it's because they were once."

Marrow rolled his eyes, "Philosophical as always."

**Out of the exchange, only two parries occurred before Loz and Yazoo disengaged, changing tactics.**

**Loz leaped towards the blond mercenary with a dropkick, hurling both Cloud and Loz in opposite directions.**

**Time slowed briefly as Yazoo pluck Loz's sidearm, a gunblade and locked blades with Cloud, leaving the blond mercenary vulnerable from behind as Loz 'teleported' behind him.**

"Behind!" Sun shouted before quickly snapping his mouth shut from embarrassment, remembering that he can't hear him.

**Cloud had his head slightly turned to the side to keep an eye on his back and foresaw Loz's attack, instantly spinning out of the deadlock, kicking off the ground, and launched himself into the air.**

"His opponents are not only powerful in terms of raw strength but also skilled." Pyrrha admires Cloud's and to a lesser extent, Loz and Yazoo's combat prowess. "Despite that, he's still managing to keep them from impairing him."

"He's an experienced fighter." Qrow had his arms crossed, tapping on his elbow with his right finger. "And by experience, I mean a truckload worth of fighting experiences. That, or he's familiar enough with his opponents."

"I would lean more on the experienced part." Ozpin weighted in.

**Wordlessly, Loz lowered his arms for Yazoo to jump on and threw him into the air to give chase. Yazoo leveled his gunblades and fired. Gunshots rang across the sky accompanied by bullets. Cloud's swords blurred in response, blocking all the bullets fired his way. The distance between Cloud and Yazoo shortened, along with the bullets, eventually resulting in the two to exchange melee strikes. Their melee quickly ended as it has started with Yazoo kicking Cloud into the trees, followed up by several gunshots that disarmed Cloud from his fusion sword.**

**The fusion sword spiraled through the air, solidly impaling itself into a white crystal tree. Cloud landed on a tree branch not far from his fusion sword. He quickly hopped on multiple crystalized tree branches and swung around his fusion sword handle, landing on the flat side of his fusion sword's blade.**

"I wonder what those trees are made out of. Professor Peach would certainly be interested in studying them." Port mused, stroking his mustache.

"Indeed." Oobleck nodded, "She most certainly would! Restless nights and days just to study them! She'll put me to shame even with my strongest coffee!"

**He then noticed Loz below the tree his sword and by extension, himself were currently on. The brute grinned and shattered the base of the white crystal tree with a punch, causing it to collapse.**

"He's in quite a pickle." Maria resumed munching on her cashews.

"Timber!" Elm quietly shouted.

"Isn't that what you named your weapon?" Marrow asked.

"It fits my weapons functionality," Elm replied with a grin.

**Cloud remained steadfast on his foot as the tree toppled over while he held onto his embedded fusion sword. At the same time, Yazoo landed onto the timbering tree, casually strolling towards Cloud while firing his gunblade, forcing the blond mercenary to defend himself with his other sword. Finding the situation much more unfavorable than it already was, Cloud leaped over his fusion sword and pulled it out from the falling tree as Yazoo got closer.**

**On the ground, Loz braced his legs and leaped into the air towards Cloud, shattering the crystal tree, sending the three of them into the air.**

**Whilst in the air, the three of them spectacularly danced in the air with a series of wide sweeps, spins, and blocks. Still relying on the same trick, Yazoo disengaged Cloud with a kick, complimented by a hail of bullets that forced Cloud into a nearby crystal tree.**

"Huh…" Jaune frowned, "Is it me, or these guys don't stick around in a fight for long? Not because they can't, but because they don't uh… Want to?"

"Good observation, Mr. Arc." Glynda pushed up her glasses, "It would appear they're obscuring their capabilities by repeatedly forcing their opponent out of his striking range."

Qrow held a similar view as well. "You get a feel of their skills, but you're not getting much of how they fight. A smart way to fight. Even to spectators like us, we're not learning that much of their true abilities."

"T-thanks, Professor Goodwitch and, uh… Ruby's uncle. I wonder how much we're giving away when we're fighting."

Pyrrha nodded, "I always asked myself that."

Her tournament matches always had many people watching, including potential opponents. If she was careless, her opponents could become familiar with her fighting, maybe even figure out her semblances which she always tried to hide.

"Guess we'll have to reevaluate ourselves the next time we train."

**Cloud quickly shifted his body and landed onto the side of the upright crystal tree, quickly fusing his greatsword and fusion sword together.**

Oscar blinked, "Wait, did he just put an entire sword inside another sword?"

"He did! I wonder what that would do! Probably increase the weight and swing speed, if he could hold it with one hand, which looks like he can…" Ruby rambling faded as she remained focus on the fight.

**His eyes didn't track Loz and Yazoo this time, they were on Kadaj. The young man had stayed out of the fight this entire time and was observing Cloud from the ground.**

"I forgot there was a third guy," Neptune admits.

"He was drawing out the entire fight." Raven snorted, "He shouldn't be playing around like that unless he wants his opponent a chance to escape."

"That's about to change. The guy is aiming for him now." Said Vernal, "Not sure if that's a good idea, but it's three against one."

**Cloud kicked off the tree with all his might, lunging towards Kadaj who remained on the spot, unfazed.**

**His green cat-like eyes flashing, Kadaj suddenly spun his entire body, picking up enough momentum to completely countering Cloud's lunging strike.**

**Cloud looked slightly shocked, but there wasn't time for him to react aside from defending himself from Kadaj's blistering assault that kept him in the air. Kadaj's two parallel bladed katana struck against Cloud's combined fusion sword, juggling Cloud and his massive sword in the air like he was nothing. Gravity fought to keep Cloud grounded, by Kadaj's otherworldly strength ensured that Cloud remained airborne.**

"That guy is literally juggling him and his giant weapon in the air!" Jaune yelped.

Yatsuhashi looked shocked, "No wonder he didn't bother to attack him with the others. His strength alone is already terrifying."

**An upward slash threw Cloud high into the sky. The impact and sudden repositioning left Cloud defenseless, allowing Kadaj to leap over Cloud, seconds from delivering a finishing blow.**

**But as Kadaj's blade descended, a bullet struck the side of his katana making him miss his finisher. Kadaj clicked his tongue as he turned to meet the interloper.**

"Shouldn't have played around," Raven said with a smug expression.

**A red cloak flew towards Kadaj and Cloud, splaying over them, forcing Kadaj back out of caution.**

"Wait, Ruby?! You're there?" Yang half-teased her sister. The flying red cloak aside, it was missing the noticeable rose petals that Ruby's semblance produced. Plus, it did not share the same texture as Ruby's red cloak; the one on the screen had a smoother liquid look to it.

"What?! I…" Ruby paused for a moment, "That's not me."

"_It is not. It is someone else." _The Hosts answered, _"If you are curious, that someone is Vincent Valentine."_

"Oh. Cool! We have similar sembl- Err, abilities? Magic powers? Something?" Ruby sheepishly scratch her cheek. "Similar cloak thingy? Almost?"

**Cloud hit the ground and was rendered unconscious; his cellphone knocked loose from his pocket and fell into a puddle. Overhead, the red cloak hastily dived down and protectively covered Cloud while Kadaj and his two siblings watched warily and surrounded it.**

**From the red cloak, muzzles flashed as bullets flew out from the cloak that caused Kadaj to defend himself while Loz charged towards the red cloak and Yazoo to returned fire. However, the bullets directed at the red cloak seemed to burn through without actually harming it.**

**With Cloud secured, the red cloak took to the air, suddenly dropping to the ground, and hopped around to throw the trio off before sweeping the ground and taking to the air.**

**Kadaj wordlessly stared at the shrinking red cloak before clicking his tongue in frustration.**

The screen darkened and the lights returned to the theater room.

"_That should do it for this world for now." _The Hosts announced, _"Excuse us while we ensure our presence is not noticed as we leave the dimension." _The screen started warping again, distorting in color and slightly in shape.

As that was happening, Blake leaned over her armrest to chat with her team leader. "Can you do what that Vincent guy was going? Like attacking when you're in your semblance or carry us?"

Ruby hummed thoughtfully, "I don't think I can move the way he can because I need to be going fast for my semblance to activate. I've carried people before with my semblance, but if they're too heavy, I won't be able to carry them far." Penny comes to mind back when they were running away from Atlesian soldiers. "As for attacking with my semblance… I haven't really tried it yet. Too disorientating trying to hit an almost stationary target with my weapon."

"_We have safely left the dimension." _The Hosts returned, _"Now, we return to an era of conflict once more. A conflict that encompassed an entire world."_

Ironwood deeply sighed, "Another war?"

"Nooo…" Ruby whimpered, making her teammates crowd around her to make her feel better.

"_Correct. We return to a war known as World War 2 by the inhabitants of the world that we'll be returning to."_

"War, huh?" Clover rubbed his chin, "Remnant has their own fair share of wars back then."

"The last and biggest conflict on Remnant between civilizations is the Great War." Said Vine, "Though, I supposed our Hosts is well aware of this."

"They are well-versed in our history, especially conflicts." Oobleck answered, "Some keynotes to the war and world our Hosts are talking about; their world may not have the Creatures of Grimm, aura, or Dust. But they follow a different technological path and a mindset which resulted in staggering bloodshed. Huge losses of life that exceed even Remnant's conflicts combined. Their first World War was aptly known as the Great War, and it had over 60 million soldiers partaking in the conflict."

Robyn, Pietro, and the Ace-Ops all looked shocked by that number.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa." Harriet waved her hands, "Say that again? 60 million soldiers?"

"We were shocked at first, too." Oobleck nodded grimly, "And this is just the first world war."

Robyn's expression was that of sorrow, "So many… I can't even imagine the casualties."

"Damn. How did they even recover to fight a second one?"

Before Oobleck can give them a small history lesson that he picked up from the documents the Hosts provided him, the Hosts spoke up. _"The battle you are about to witness shall take place on a day known as D-Day. The largest seaborne invasion in their history, and a costly one. Brace yourselves, for you shall be witnessing war once more."_

"This… Isn't going to be pretty, isn't it?" Marrow glanced at his teammates.

It was Ironwood that answered, "War never is."

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**NEXT: Saving Private Ryan - D-Day Beach Landing**

****Advanced early credit and thanks to Vumanchu for giving me the notes and dialogue! I'll be sure to plaster your name on the next chapter for your hardwork!**

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**Pardon my grammar, please help me resolve some of those by letting me know.**


	33. Saving Private Ryan: D-Day

**SPECIAL THANKS to Vumanchu** **for providing my dialogues and notes of Saving Private Ryan!**

**Pardon my grammar and any misspellings. Point those out so I can fix them.**

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**Saving Private Ryan: D-Day**

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"Are you alright?" Glynda and Ozpin asked James Ironwood in unison. They may not always see eye to eye with each other, but they are friends.

"Sir?" Winter frowned, ready to assist her superior at a moment notice.

Ironwood looked somewhat pale, clutching his robotic arm. "I… It's my arm, acting up again."

Glynda knew that wasn't the case, but didn't say anything. Instead, she turned towards the ceiling. "Our Hosts. Are you able to assist James with his troubles?" She asked politely.

"_Of course."_

Ironwood felt his unexplained anxiety and tension leave his body, like a person looking back at their nightmare and questioned themselves what was so bad about it. He gently released his robotic arm and softly pat his chest.

"Thank you." Addressing both the Hosts and his friends.

"_Our pleasure. If anyone else is feeling distressed or pain, we shall assist you in alleviating it. It is in our best interest to ensure that you all remain in good health." _The massive black screen flickered, _"Without further ado, we shall begin. Brace yourselves."_

Roman breathed out, wishing he didn't finalize his resolve to quit smoking not long ago. "Here we go again."

The room darkened, and the screen flickers to life.

**The sky was clear blue. The roaring waves of the ocean calmly masked the storm that was brewing not far from its own shores. Anti-tank obstacles were planted around the beach, impeding any armored assault that was to be carried out.**

**Saline water continuous flow through the metal obstacles, neither rough nor soft. The air was still and cool. It's the calm before the storm.**

**_June 6, 1944_**

**_Dog Green Sector_**

**_Omaha Beach_**

The Hosts read out as the words in white seared into the scenery. _"The month, day, and year that this battle takes place. There are ten sectors divided among the invading forces. We shall be witnessing one of them."_

Oobleck nodded, "We also have a similar calendar system like theirs back on Remnant."

**Numerous of landing crafts were making their way towards Omaha Beach, carrying American soldiers. Throughout the other sectors, Allied forces were also mobilizing; forming the largest amphibious invasion in military history.**

**The landing crafts sped through the rough sea, spraying water as the bow of the boats dipped and leveled.**

"Interesting concept these vessels are. Not practical for our uses considering it's the Grimm we're mostly concern about." Pietro babbled with a hint of uneasiness.

**The scene focuses on an individual on one of the landing craft; his hands trembling intensively. He unsteadily grasps his metal canteen with both hands, unscrewed the cap, and lift it to his mouth.**

Qrow nodded, taking a swig from his flask. "To soothe the nerves. They're going to need it."

"Poor guy…" Harriet sympathizes with the plight of the enlisted.

**Captain John Miller drank from the canteen, the camera zooms out revealing several other soldiers. Technical Sergeant Michael "Mike" Horvath is putting chewing tobacco into his mouth and several soldiers are throwing up due to seasickness.**

"Aw, gross." Vernal grimaced at the vomiting soldiers.

**The Landing Craft Coxswain glanced behind him before turning to his charge. "Clear the ramp! Thirty-seconds! God be with you!"**

"**Port-side stick, Starboard-side stick. Move fast and clear those murder-holes." Captain Miller ordered his soldiers. His instructions are clear: all you guys on the left; all you on the right, I want you to move as quickly as you can and clear out the enemy's bunker.**

"**I want plenty of beach between men. Five men is a juicy opportunity; one man is a waste of ammo." Sergeant Horvath is referring to the German machine guns. He wants the men to spread out to better withstand German machine gunfire.**

"**Keep the sand out of your weapons, keep those actions clear!" Captain Miller paused briefly, "I'll see you on the beach!"**

"Did you understand any of their lingoes?" Marrow asked Clover, who shook his head.

"I think I got the gist of it."

"The second one was self-explanatory." Winter had a solemn look on her face, "Don't group up."

**The soldiers are nervous, anxious because for many it was their first time in action. For some, they are only 18 years old. One is crossing his chest, praying to God, and Daniel Jackson (the sniper) kisses his cross necklace and mutters a prayer.**

**The assault whistle is blown, the handwheels on the bow door metallically rattle as the Coxswain lowers the ramp.**

"**Clear the murder holes!"**

**Minute the ramp drops, soldiers are immediately gunned down by MG42s. Bullets whizzed through the air, embedding themselves into the skulls of the soldiers that were to be first out from the ramp. Swaths of landing crafts quickly had their soldiers cleared out by MG42s, soldiers dying in droves.**

Robyn swallowed at the instantaneous death that took place in less than seconds. "S-so many…!"

Several students lowered their heads and looked away, not able to bring themselves to witness the untold amount of life lost per second. The Ace-Ops took it better, but their bodies were tensed at the sight that unfolded before them.

**The view changes to within the German bunkers, showcasing how much of an easy target the American soldiers were to the German defenders.**

"They're exposed." Marrow said in a low voice.

**Captain Miller grabbed a soldier, forcing him to the side of their landing craft. "Over the side!"**

**Causalities were quickly mounting as soldiers continue to advance towards the German's defensive positions, cut down by hails of bullets.**

Ren squeezed Nora's hand tightly, "Why… Are they so adamant in…? In…?"

Nora didn't respond, neither did Pyrrha. They didn't know what to say.

"I don't k-know." Jaune replied shakily.

"**Over the side! Over the –" The sound of war was muffled as soldiers hit the waters.**

**Bodies and equipment sank into the sea, bullets tore through the dense water leaving a fine trail in the body of water – blood blooming out from their bodies, dyeing the sea in red. The equipment, alongside overeating before the invasion, sees many men struggle to get it off and gunned down in the water.**

**It gets worse for one soldier who drowns.**

Neptune let out a shaky breath, his fear of water quickly resurfacing.

"Easy, buddy. Easy." Sun patted his friend on the back.

**Captain Miller wobbled through the chest-high water, carrying the soldier who he threw overboard with him. They stumbled over the uneven ocean floor that's littered with bodies and equipment, passing by soldiers taking cover behind the anti-tank obstacles the Germans laid out.**

**Flocks of soldiers advanced in waves, continuously replacing those that have fallen.**

**The soldier, Private Delancey, whom Captain Miller was carrying, looked relieved having survived the first ordeal.**

"**T-Thank you, thank –" He was instantly shot dead by a bullet from a Kar98K, sinking back into the water.**

"Oh, shit." Coco hissed under her breath.

Ruby nearly let out a small whimper, but swallowed it and steely her resolves. This didn't go unnoticed by her older half-sister, who felt a sense of inspiration and determination formed up inside her.

**Captain Miller stared back at the private, gripping the deceased soldier by the arm before letting him go. He hastily moved through the Czech Hedgehog to find better grounds, all while incoherent chatters and bullets ricocheted around him.**

**The beach was quickly turning red. German MG42s mowed down the advancing Americans, artillery barrages made landfall on the sandy beach, blowing sands and bodies in all directions.**

**An artillery shell fell into the shallowed sea, not far from where the captain was moving, causing him to drop into the bloodied water. Another shell exploded on two Americans, killing and dismembering one while severely crippling the other.**

"There's seemingly no end to this," Penny said sadly. If she could cry, she would had long done so.

"_It is one of many." _Said the Hosts, _"There is no shortage of people and conflicts to expend in this world."_

"Cynical." Read Neo's sign. The usual glint in her eyes was missing. A sign of unease, tiredness, or discomfort.

**Painstakingly did Captain Miller picked himself up and crawled towards the shore, hiding behind a metal beam. He numbly watched the chaos and destruction that was playing out in front of him like a silent horror movie. He witnessed a young soldier crying, cowering behind cover.**

"Shouldn't have enlisted," Roman said quietly to the young soldier on the screen, who undoubtedly didn't hear him.

"W-what's that ringing sound?" Velvet's rabbit ears flickered around, "And why can't we hear anything?"

"_The audio perception is currently from the man that you see before you." _The Hosts explained, _"Combat stress and deafening sounds have temporarily impaired his hearing. Of course, we've also lessened the audio you all will perceive to ensure your hearing does not wane."_

**He turned his field of view and saw two soldiers and a flamethrower operator running through the beach. The gas tank burst open, spewing flames that devoured the three of them.**

**A nearby explosion caused the captain to flinch – Blood raining down on his face. The experience was surreal to the officer, watching reality played out in deafening silence or muffled tumults.**

"This is a nightmare," Glynda whispered.

"And a real one at that," Ozpin said sadly.

**Slowly, he pries his eyes wide open, not bothering to wipe the blood that trickled down his face. A soldier was aimlessly searching through the beach for his missing arm, finding it in the sand to which the soldier picked it off and hurried off to the frontline with it.**

"Did that guy just…?" Emerald was in shock by how 'casual' the one-armed soldier retrieved his missing limb.

"He did." A disquiet Mercury rubbed his thigh. "I don't think his mind is registering the pain."

Cinder didn't make any remarks, keeping her expression neutral and unreadable.

**Captain Miller tore his gaze away and looked to his side, witnessing a landing craft and its occupants burning.**

**He then looked down at his helmet and shakily picked it up, pouring some of the bloody water out and placing it on his head. Captain Miller came face to face with a soldier and stared numbly at him. The soldier was trying to address him over the sound of heavy fighting, but the captain was unable to make out his words.**

"**What do we do sir?!" The soldier mouthed. Reality slowly came back to Captain Miller as his hearing returned. He was instantly greeted by the voice of said agitated soldier. "I said, what the hell do we do now, sir?!"**

"It must be demoralizing if their leader is in that kind of state," Elm said with a serious expression.

"It seems he's starting to regain his senses," Vine remarked.

"**Captain Miller! Captain Miller! Captain Miller!" Sergeant Horvath's voice managed to carry over the sound of gunfire.**

"So, he's a captain…" Ironwood mused.

**His training immediately kicked into place, "Sergeant Horvath! Move your men off the beach!"**

"**Go?!"**

"**Go!"**

**Sergeant Horvath immediately pointed at his men "Okay you guys! Get on to my ass! Follow me!"**

"**But sir! What's the rallying point?!" Another soldier asked the captain.**

"**Anywhere but here!" The captain advanced alongside his men. Other soldiers nearby immediately took notice of this and advanced as well to keep up the offensive pressure. They paused to take cover behind the giant metal beams of a Czech Hedgehog that offered limited protection. "To the sea wall! Move up to the sea wall!"**

"**Sir, I'm staying!" A soldier who had taken cover behind the anti-tank obstacles shouted back.**

"Reasonable, not wanting to ditch cover and be shot at," Vernal commented.

"**Clear this beach, make way for the others!" If the soldiers don't move up, eventually they'll clog up the beach making reinforcements easy pickings.**

"**This is all we got between us and the almighty!" Another soldier protested, fearing for his life.**

"**Every inch-explosion-of this beach has been pre-sighted. You stay here, you're a dead man!" He didn't stick around to argue with the soldiers and continued to advance, leaving them to decide their fate.**

"If they stay, they die. If they move forward, they'll die." Raven said monotonously, "Their chances of surviving are low regardless."

"The choice is up to them." Said Ozpin, eyeing Raven with a stony expression.

Raven glared at the headmaster, resuming her attention to the screen. "Choice, huh?"

**Bodies continue to fall from the firefight from the entrenched Germans, who expended their ammo on the onrushing army of the Allied power. As of now, it's a battle of attrition to see who would wear down the other.**

"**Mama! Mama!" He came across a wounded soldier who was crying out in pain, clutching his exposed abdomen. "Aaaaggggghhhhh!"**

**It was unfortunate. He was not a medic, nor can he find any nearby. Picking up a plastic-wrapped rifle of the wounded soldier, Captain Miller wordlessly continued on.**

"H-he's not helping him?" Jaune's face grew paler as blood and gore slowly bled into his mind.

"I do not believe he's a medic and with those wounds, he'll probably do more damage if he tried to move him." Vine rationalized, though it still didn't sit well with him.

"He could have called for a medic."

"Perhaps."

**The captain waded through the beach – a soldier accompanying behind him was unlucky enough to be shot multiple times. His death went unnoticed by Captain Miller, crouching and moving through the hail of gunfire, finally meeting up with a group of soldiers behind a Czech Hedgehog, carrying typewriters.**

"**Who are you guys?!"**

"**104th Medical Battalion, sir!" The soldier answered, not realizing there was a soldier in front of him who died taking all the bullets fired at their direction, essentially saving his life. "Here to set up field operations!"**

"Lucky guy, unlucky fella." Qrow shook his head, pondering if he should drink some more from his flask. He decided against it.

"**Get rid of that crap! Grab yourself a weapon and follow me!" The soldier complied with Captain Miller's order without any complaint and took up a rifle that was dropped by the very same deceased soldier that unintentionally saved his life.**

"Is that a good idea? Discarding setup of field operations?" Weiss asked herself, though the question was mostly geared towards Winter.

"I wouldn't know." Winter answered, "Their military doctrine is different than ours."

**A small following of soldiers instinctively went along with Captain Miller. They came across Lieutenant Briggs screaming, looking at the hand that's supposed to be covering his abdomen.**

"**Briggs!" Captain Miller dropped to the ground and crawled towards the lieutenant.**

"**Get me outta here!" Lieutenant Briggs groaned in pain, "I'm hit low! God!"**

"**Medic! Medic!" The captain tried calling for medical assistance but didn't have much luck.**

"Now he calls for a medic…" Nora mutters under her breath.

"He seems to know him and the markings on his helmet must have significance." Said Pyrrha.

"_The marking is that of a lieutenant." _The Hosts confirmed Pyrrha's assumption.

Roman clicked his tongue, "Means he's important than your rank and file."

**A soldier took up position behind a Czech Hedgehog and got the captain's attention. "Navy Beach Battalion, sir! I gotta clear these obstacles, make holes for the tanks!"**

**The captain pointed towards the sea, "All the Armor's floundering in the Channel!"**

"**Orders, sir! You go somewhere else! I'm clearing this one!" The soldier shouted back before getting to work.**

"They'll have to move." Elm said gravely, "Doesn't matter if he outranks him, that soldier has a job to do."

"I wonder how their chains of command work…" Harriet thought out loud to herself.

"**Come on Briggs!" Captain Miller dragged the lieutenant through the beach, calling for a medic until a mortar gibs Lieutenant Briggs. The explosion knocked the captain over, muddling his mind, and deafening him for several seconds.**

**He dragged the body of Lieutenant Briggs, not knowing that the man is now gone – Leaving only a mangled upper body behind.**

Mercury flinched at the sight of the lieutenant's legs blown away. "And he's gone."

"It's for the best." Cinder said softly, "In death, there's no pain." Her remarks caused her underlings to gulp.

**He staggered forward and fell to the ground as his hearing returns, turning around to see how the lieutenant was doing.**

**Dead.**

**Captain Miller stared numbly at the body before steadily crawling towards the frontline, muttering himself to move and get off the ground.**

"An awful, horrible feeling… Knowing that the person you were trying to save died and you even didn't notice it." Robyn said sadly.

**He forced himself to his feet and begin jogging towards the seawall where the German's defensive positions are, prompting the other soldiers to follow him. Their advance was met with heavy gunfire from German machineguns, mowing a chunk of them down, but not enough to stop all of them from continuing the advance.**

"Brave lads." Port gave his respects to those on-screen. "Very brave lads."

Oobleck nodded, "Indeed. I cannot fathom what every single one of them went through."

"More so when this conflict is over," Ozpin mutters softly.

**The view shifts to Captain Miller, running through the battlefield behind two other soldiers, one of them carrying a flamethrower.**

"**Move, move!" Captain Miller said in-between heavy breaths as they got closer to the tower seawalls. Thick white smoke and bullets garnished the shallow sandy trenches a few meters away from the German's position. "Alright, move!"**

**He passed by a wounded soldier that was screaming but resumed his focus on what is ahead of him. A sandy cover that's inches away from barbed wires meshed with wooden poles.**

"A possible impasse." Ironwood grunted, "Anti-personnel obstacles deployed to hinder any advancement."

"Cheap, but effective deterrent." Clover agrees.

**Captain Miller threw himself to the ground, landing safely behind the sandy cover while others were not so lucky, being mowed down by gunfire or shredded by explosives.**

**A radio operator was beside him, prompting the captain to grab the radio operator to send words back to whatever chains of command are on the other side.**

"Communication devices. What were these called? Radios?" Oobleck scratched his head.

"Rather antique in appearance." Pietro absentmindedly remarked, trying to take his mind off the blood and gore. "I wonder how it functions. Their engineering is intriguing."

"**Shore party! No armor has made it ashore, we got no DD tanks on the beach, Dog One is not open!" He then turned towards his men, "Who's in command here?!"**

**A soldier glanced at the captain, taking note of his helmet's marking that designate Miller as a captain. "You are, sir!"**

"Not something you'll want to hear in a situation like this," Blake said with a serious expression. "Having all their lives, responsibilities… Dropped on you."

**Captain Miller took a moment to gather his thought, spotting a familiar face. "Sergeant Horvath!"**

"**Sir!"**

**A spray of bullets kicked up sand into the air, forcing them to lay down lower, but that didn't stop their dialogue.**

"**You recognize where we are?!"**

"**Right where we're supposed to be, but no one else is!" The sergeant responded.**

"**Nobody's where they're supposed to be!" Another soldier shouted over the deafening sound of MG42s.**

"Expect everything to go wrong." Qrow said wisely, "Because nothing will go your way."

"Can say the same thing from my own experience," Tai grumbled.

"Ain't that the truth." Harriet scowled, remembering some unexpected trip-ups in their missions.

**The captain immediately turned around and grabbed the radio operator by the shoulder, pulling him close to his face. "Shore party! First wave, ineffective! We do not hold the beach, say again, we do not hold the beach!"**

"**We are all mixed up, sir!" A soldier explained their situation, while Sergeant Horvath moved while keeping his head low, rolling through the sand towards his commanding officer. "We got the leftovers from Fox Company, Able Company, and George Company! Plus, we got some Navy Demo guys and a Beachmaster!"**

"Their chains of command are undoubtedly tangled up there." Elm cupped her chin. "Different companies and units mixing together in a volatile and hostile environment? Pure chaos."

"Sounds like a huge mess…" Said Sun.

**Captain Miller processed this new information and turned back to the radio operator.**

"**Shore party!" He turned the radio operator over, "Shore party!" He stopped, noticing that the radio operator's face has completely caved in.**

Vernal leaned back into her chair with a grimace. "Damn."

"Oh, god." Jaune covered his mouth, his eyes trembling.

The students reeled back from the gruesome sight, all making a series of hurling or coughing noises.

"Ugh…" Tai winced, nervously looking out for his two daughters to see how they are faring. A lot better than expected, especially Ruby who was shaking Oscar out of his stupor.

**Captain Miller pushed the corpse aside and grabbed the radio pack, lifting the receiver to his face to contact Cat-F: Commander Amphibious Task Force that's overseeing the Allied Invasion of Normandy.**

"**Cat-F, Cat-F, Ca–"**

**He stopped upon noticing smoke trailing out from the radio. With a frustrated and resigned look, he discarded the broken radio to formulate another plan.**

"Whatever their plans were, it's literally shot to hell." Raven bluntly remarked.

**Two privates sprinted through the rain of bullets and explosions, finally reaching their destination, throwing themselves behind cover. "Reiben here, sir!"**

"**Anybody else?" Sergeant Horvath asked, reloading his rifle.**

"**Jackson, but that's about it."**

"**Mellish here!"**

"**Caparzo!" Another private named Caparzo sounded off, "We got DeForest's back there with Wade. He's hurt so bad he says he sprung a hundred leaks! Wade says he's all used up."**

**The scene transitions to Wade and a medic.**

"**Find somebody you can help! Let's go!" The medic ordered.**

"**He's battalion surgeon, sir!" Wade continued to assist the medic, wrapping bandages around the soldier while the medic used a hemostat to control the bleeding.**

"Combat medics… And they're tending the wounded out in the open?" Elm said in awe, admiring their tenacity. It's one thing to keep cool and fight back, it's another to keep cool and help the wounded while under fire.

**The focus shifts back to Captain Miller and his men. "Get his attention."**

**They all made an attempt to get Wade's attention, shouting his name "Wade!"**

**Wade and other medics continued operating on DeForest, going far as using a corpse and rolling it over to cover the wounded man.**

"**Alright, get him off the beach." Captain Miller ordered, causing Mellish to ditch his cover and retrieve their medic.**

"He's helping someone." Nora growled, "Can't they see that?"

"They don't want to leave him behind." Ren quietly said.

"**I got it! We stopped the bleeding; we stopped the bleeding!" Wade said with hope in his voice moments before a bullet hits DeForest's head.**

"All for naught." Read Neo's sign.

Roman nodded, "He suffers no more, at least. This is probably for the best for the guy.

**Wade froze for a moment before angrily throwing the bandages to the ground, "Just give us a fucking chance you son of a bitch, you son of a fucking cunt!"**

"**Wade! It's Mellish!" He grabbed the medic by the arm, urgently pulling him back to the group. "Wade! We found Miller! Let's move, let's move!"**

**Mellish dragged Wade towards the elevated cover while the latter continued to hurl profanity at the Germans, and began weeping once he reached the seawall.**

"**Oh, God. Oh, God."**

Ironwood lowered his head sadly, feeling the man's anguish.

"**This is all? Is this all that's made it?" Captain Miller asked calmly over the volley of gunfire.**

"**We got scattered pretty bad, sir. There's bound to be more of us."**

"**Not enough. This is not enough."**

Glynda's eyes held great sorrow, "It's a miracle there's enough of them alive, to begin with."

"No kidding." Qrow unscrewed his flask and drank from it.

"**This is Dog One exit." Sergeant Horvath pointed at his right. "It's gotta be the cut on the right or on the left! Shit!"**

"**No, no, no, no. The airfield is to the West," He gestures with his hand to form a picture of the locations. "this is Dog One."**

**A soldier nearby grabbed planted a firm hand on the captain's shoulder. "They're killing us! And we don't get a fucking chance and that ain't fair!"**

"There's no such thing as fairness in war," Ozpin said sternly with hints of pain in his steely tone. The ancient wizard suddenly looked exhausted and turned his attention to from his mug.

His peers eyed him with concern but didn't know what else to say or do.

"**Gather weapons and ammo!" Captain Miller's voice cracked slightly as he tore the plastic package to access his rifle. They'll have to clear the bunkers, with or without the numbers.**

"**Gather weapons and ammo!" The sergeant loudly repeated.**

"**C'mon, bring that –" An explosion tore through the seawall, killing a handful of American soldiers, proving that they need to press on or die on the spot.**

Jaune gulped, "They need to get out of there soon."

"The next calibration will inflict grievous losses." Penny nodded in agreement.

**The soldiers hastily ditch their covers to run back to gather ammo and weapons from deceased soldiers and the wounded.**

"**Reiben! Hey, Reiben! Reiben, Reiben, wher-where's your BAR?" Sergeant Horvath asked the private.**

**Private Reiben glances back at the sea. "Bottom of the channel sir, the bitch tried to drown me."**

"Swear…" Ruby said her running gag half-heartedly, earning herself a head pat from her sister.

"**Go find a replacement" Captain Miller ordered, to which the private complied, scooting down to find replacements. "Bangalores! Bring up some Bangalores!"**

"**Engineer's coming!" A soldier announced as soldiers carrying Bangalores moved in. "Grenades, grenades! Bring us some grenades, get them over here!"**

"**Bangalores up the line! Bangalores up the line!"**

"Bangalores?" Marrow asked quizzically.

"_Bangalores are explosive charges utilized in clearing obstacles without risking exposure."_ The Hosts explained, _"They take on an appearance of one or several connected tubes as seen on-screen."_

"Oh. Thanks."

Elm's arms were crossed, "Sounds useful. They're going to need those."

"**Bangers coming your way!" Sergeant Horvath handed his team the equipment. "Come on, come on, come on!"**

"**Jackson here, sir!"**

"**Reiben back, sir!"**

**The two privates kept their heads low, having safely made it back from gathering ammo and weapons.**

**Screams of pain and weeping mashed with the sound of explosion and gunshots as the soldiers strained to remove one of the German's defensive positions so that they can continue their offense.**

"**One more, give me one more!" A soldier handling the Bangalore shouted.**

"**Oh, my God, it hurts!" A soldier screamed in pain as his arm was being worked on by two medics. "I'm gonna die! Oh, my God! Oh, Jesus! Oh, my God!"**

A portion of the audience flinched at the gory sight.

"I'm squeamish now," Neptune said weakly.

Tai hissed at the sight of the soldier's wounds. "I can imagine how painful that is."

"**Keep it moving. Keep it moving. Almost got it." A crew of four soldiers manning a Bangalore worked quickly to set it up explosive charge.**

**A bullet ricochets off one of the soldier's helmet, startling him.**

"**Jesus! Lucky bastard." Caparzo said to the soldier.**

"Skirting death there." Qrow chuckled.

**The soldier in question took off his helmet and examined it for any holes, then his head. At that moment a bullet caught him in the forehead and the soldier slumped over, rolling down the sandy dunes.**

Qrow's face fell, and seriously consider if he should even open his mouth anymore.

"He… Shouldn't have taken his helmet off like that." Clover reluctantly said.

**The crew working on the Bangalore continued despite being one man short. "Keep it moving! You got it?"**

**The focus cuts back to Wade tending the screaming soldier.**

"**You're not gonna die. You're fine. Don't look at it!" Wade shielded the wounded soldier's eyes with his arms while he worked on his torn upper arm.**

"Glynda," Ozpin said privately.

"Yes, Professor Ozpin?"

"Please make a note to expand our funding for our medical facilities and first-aid training for the students."

"Right away, sir."

"**Bangalores!" Captain Miller shouted over the firefight, assisting Corporal William Sampson in prepping the Bangalores. "Clear the shingle!"**

"**Fire in the hole!"**

"**Fire in the hole!" Sergeant Horvath put a hand on his helmet and duck.**

"**Fire in the hole!" Corporal Sampson shouted one last warning, sliding the Bangalores over the top.**

"**Fire in the hole!" Wade repeated, covering the wounded soldier with his entire body.**

**The Bangalores went off, destroying the barb wires, wooden posts, and any other obstacles that were nearby – Clearing a path for them to advance. Meanwhile, German soldiers were taking up positions to halt their advancement, nestling down behind sandbags.**

"Kaboom." Nora softly mimics.

Robyn eyed the German soldiers, "That certainly caught their enemies' attention."

**Sergeant Horvath scooted slightly to get a better view, quickly backing down. "We're in business! Defilade! Other side of the hole!"**

**Everyone went over the top, sprinting in full gear towards the seawall, or ducking behind what little cover they could find while enduring heavy gunfire. Those remaining behind were mainly the wounded, the dead, and the medics.**

**Wade remained, injecting medicine to the wounded soldier before moving onto the next with the Senior Medical officer.**

"**That's it! Let's go!" Said the Senior Medical officer. They steadily went over the wounded soldiers laying on the sand. "Inspected, morphine!" He went and check on another. "Routine!" Another soldier, who appeared to be having trouble breathing, or is in great pain. "Priority!" The next one wasn't moving as he felt his hand. The Senior Medical officer glance back at Wade, who had his head turned back, causing the officer to whack Wade's helmet. "He's gone!"**

"I wonder how they'll get the wounded off the beach" Yatsuhashi somberly asked himself.

Fox shook his head, "It doesn't look like they'll be able to evacuate any of them."

"That's awful." Velvet's rabbit ears drool.

"It is." Coco acknowledged with a grim expression, "Gotta be glad it isn't anymore worse."

**The focus returns to Captain Miller and his men taking cover behind a large concrete wall laced with some barbed wires. He pushed a corpse off the rubble so he could peak behind the wall.**

**He immediately pulled back, narrowly avoiding a string of bullets and a rocket-propelled explosive.**

"That's a close call." Emerald breathed upon realizing she was holding her breath.

"**Son of a…" Sergeant Horvath didn't complete his curse and placed a hand on Mellish's helmet "Get in here."**

**Private Mellish squirmed a bit, "Fuck, I can't move."**

"**Mellish." The captain seemed to have an idea despite their tight positioning.**

"**Yes, sir?"**

"**Give me your bayonet."**

**He retrieved the bayonet and wordlessly took the gum that Mellish was chewing from his mouth. By wrapping the gum around the tip of the bayonet, Captain Miller can attach a mirror to it, allowing him to safely observe the German's entrenched position.**

Qrow had an approving look, "Smart. Making use of anything you have."

"A desirable quality." Oobleck bobbed his head nervously. "Thinking outside of the box."

"**Two MG42s and two mortars. Add 20, left 30."**

**Sergeant Horvath crawled forward to take a look for himself using the mirror. "There's a little defilade, but it's the perfect position if we got any God damn armor on the beach!" He said the last part of his sentence with sarcasm.**

"'If' is a strong word here." Ironwood grimaced.

"Yeah, well… Not everything goes as plans, huh Jimmy?" Qrow nudged the Atlesian general.

"No, it never does."

**If only they had armor on the beach, then this wouldn't be a problem.**

"**Well, we gotta open up this draw! Get this draw open." He turned his attention to his men, "Reiben, Mellish! Let's get into the war! Grab some cover and put some fire on that crew! Davis, DeBernardo, Young, Valk, get ready!" They got into position; their guns trained on the German crew manning the defilade. "Covering fire!"**

**Everybody opened fire on the defilade, ultimately allowing their brothers-in-arms to advance.**

"**Go, go, go!"**

**They soon overwhelmed the German defenders, forcing them to hide behind the sandbags.**

"**God damn firing squad." Sergeant Horvath quipped to his commanding officer.**

Winter looks confused, "I wonder what he means by that."

"He must mean the systematic method when they were providing covering fire." Clover gave his thought to the specialist.

"**It's the only way we can get everybody the hell outta here. Short, Payton, McDonald, Parkes! You're next!"**

**The sergeant made another wisecrack, "Why not hand out blindfolds cap?"**

"**All we'll do here is die." Captain Miller entertained before jutting his submachinegun out, "Covering fire!" Letting loose a spray of bullets before retreating behind cover. "Go, go, go! Come on! Come on!"**

"**Go! God damn it!"**

**With the four soldiers got past the firing sight of the German's defilade, only a handful of soldiers were left. Captain Miller observed the defilade with his mirror, calculating his next step in dealing with the German's defense.**

"**Jackson."**

"**Sir."**

"I've seen that kind of look before." Ironwood said thoughtfully, "He's going to do something foolish."

**He lifted the mirror for Jackson to see. "See that impact crater?"**

"**Yes, sir."**

"**That should give complete defilade from that machine gun so just get in there and give me some fire. Wait for my command." He gripped Jackson's backpack, ready to push him out. The young man held his cross necklace tightly, kissing it in silent prayer. Captain Miller stepped out from cover, exposing himself directly in front of the defilade to draw fire. "Go!"**

Qrow eyebrows shot up, "Using himself as bait?"

"He's prioritizing his men over his own life," Ironwood said with respect.

**The crew manning the machinegun nest wasted no time shooting at the captain just as he briskly dropped behind cover, allowing Jackson to barely slip by. They quickly changed target, but the young soldier managed to evade the hail of bullets, throwing himself into the impact crater.**

"**Captain if your mother saw you do that, she'd be very upset!" Sergeant Horvath half-heartedly admonishes his captain.**

"**I thought you were my mother!" Captain Miller joked back.**

Elm allowed herself a small smirk. "There's no better time to joke than in the middle of combat."

Marrow snorted, "It's an acquired habit."

"Oh, please. You're always the 'serious' one." Harriet shot back.

**Stationed in the impact crater, Jackson steadily trained his rifle at the German soldier operating the MG42. "But be not thou far from me."**

**He took the shot, silencing the German machine gunner.**

"Headshot," Mercury said to himself.

**The focus shifts to the soldiers on the beach as more troops arrive on Omaha Beach.**

"**O, Lord. My God, I am sorry for offending Thee. I detest my sins for having offended Thee, O Lord. Listen to me, Lord." A military chaplain and a wounded soldier were praying amid the battle.**

**At another part of the beach, a scared soldier was praying on the rosary in Latin.**

Yang frowned, "That soldier with the cross marking on his helmet… What was he doing? He didn't look like a medic."

"_A military chaplain. They are military personnel who are trained in serving the spiritual needs of the armed forces."_

"We have something similar back in Atlas." Winter paused and frowned, trying to recall if they do have chaplains in Atlas military. She didn't delve much into the other dealings of the military, solely focusing on the tasks General Ironwood assign to her. "At least… Believe we do."

Vine nodded, "It's a minor part of Atlas forces."

"Considering how people aren't religious these days," Qrow added.

**The focus returns to Jackson, calmly quoting Bible Psalm 22:19. "O my strength… Haste Thee to help me."**

**He fired at a weak point in the German's defilade, causing the sandbags to fall apart and collapse down the hill. A German soldier was unfortunate enough to be among the falling sandbags, immediately getting gunned down as he fell to the ground.**

"**Dog One exit… Right here!"**

"**We're in business!" The sergeant throws out his chewing tobacco as he climbed over their cover.**

"**Move, move!" They hastily charged up the hill towards the bunkers and trenches, followed by a throng of soldiers.**

"There are still many soldiers standing… It's a wonder how they haven't thinned out seeing what they went through." Said Blake.

"Just throw enough soldiers and hope they'll breakthrough." Raven flatly stated, "Isn't that what war is all about? Sacrificing people to win?"

"There's more to it, than just sacrificing soldiers," Ironwood said in a low, dangerous tone.

"It's the principle of things," Raven replied coldly, glaring at Ozpin. "I think you of all people should know that, general."

**The Allied troops fought their way through hills, meeting small resistances along the way. The Germans were quickly overwhelmed by the numbers of Allied soldiers pouring through their defenses. The tide of the battle was sharply turning to the Allied powers, but it's a long way before this battle, much less this entire war will end here.**

**Captain Miller and his men reached the first bunker, taking cover behind a concrete bunker door.**

"**Reiben." Sergeant Horvath called out the private to prepare a grenade.**

"**Let's go, sarge. Go!"**

"**Reiben!" The private pulled the pin on the grenade and toss it to the sergeant, then another one for himself to throw.**

**The two lobbed the grenades into the trenches of the bunkers before diving for cover. Chunks of solid concrete and dirt flew up into the air as the grenades exploded. They sprang out from behind cover and secured the area, training their guns down the trench that's perpendicular to another bunker's doorway.**

"That should keep their enemies' heads down enough for them to get an upper hand," Mercury said as he carefully observed their actions.

"Those bunkers and trenches can be a claustrophobic's worse nightmare." Coco shivered, having been trapped in a cupboard during a game of hide-and-seek. "Now, imagine being trapped and surrounded by people or creatures trying to kill you."

"Coco…"

"I'm okay." Coco quickly assured them. "I'm cool."

**Not soon after a German came running out from the bunker and was shot. Two more tried to flee but were also gunned down. They quietly closed in on the bunker intending to clear it out.**

"**Come on Doyle!" Captain Miller urged their flamethrower operator into the trenches while they toss a grenade into the bunker.**

**Doyle paused upon seeing Sergeant Horvath unintentionally blocking his way. "Sarge?"**

**The man quickly moved out of the way for the flamethrower operator to move. Everybody pressed themselves to the walls, waiting for the grenade to detonate. A small shockwave shook the bunker as the grenade went off, sending clouds of smoke through the bunker door.**

"**Doyle, do it!"**

**The bunker immediately lit up in a spectacular roar of orange flames. German soldiers silently screamed in agony as they burned, throwing themselves out of the portholes in a desperate attempt to escape.**

Robyn gritted her teeth, not in anger but in horror. "A terrible way to die."

"It is." Qrow nodded, gulping down his drink.

**Just below the bunkers, Allied soldiers watched their enemies wither and burned away. "Don't shoot! Let 'em burn!"**

"Prolonging their suffering, or not wasting any effort on a dead man?" Cinder quietly mused to herself, audible only to her two underlings. Whatever she was thinking, it sounds disturbing.

**Throughout the sector, the Germans were slowly losing ground; surrendering or retreating.**

**A German soldier was the first to surrender, only to be shot.**

"Why did he shoot him?" Nora growled, "Didn't he see him surrendering as clear as day?!"

Ironwood offered an explanation, "Combat stress can cause people to act… Irrational."

"Especially after what they went through," Qrow added in.

**The other German soldiers followed suit, though they were more fortunate than the first one. Allied soldiers moved in to secure the prisoners of war while the rest spread out along the German defenses to continue the fight.**

**The Allied soldiers mowed down their fleeing enemies with impunity. Routed German soldiers were chased and gunned down, eventually finding themselves surrounded by a swarth of Allied troops.**

"**Cease fire! Ceasefire! Cut it out!" Sergeant Horvath motioned for his soldiers to stop firing on the cornered Germans. "Cut it out! Ceasefire!"**

"The battle seems to be in their favor," Ironwood noted, sounding very drained.

Glynda shared a similar expression as Ironwood. "So, it would seem."

"**Sugar Cane, Sugar Charlie Three." Captain Miller cupped his mouth cover the radio. "Say again, Dog One is open. Send in the doers. I'm waiting to tie in my flanks. Over!"**

**He took notice of two seemingly German soldiers approaching a pair of soldiers with their hands in the air.**

**One of them appears to be speaking in Czech. "Please don't shoot me! I am not German, I am Czech, I didn't kill anyone! I am Czech!"**

"**What?" One of the American soldiers shouted back, guns pointed at them. "What? I'm sorry, I can't understand you!"**

**The two mercilessly gunned down the surrendering soldiers, calmly strolling over to loot their bodies.**

"Wh-why?!" Ruby wailed.

"Honestly, can you even blame them?" Roman started, "Wading through the sea, nearly drowning, getting shot at? All their sufferings, losses and they finally meet the people who caused it. Who wouldn't pull the trigger in return?"

Nobody refuted what Roman said. Even Ozpin chose to remain silent.

"**What'd he say? What'd he say?"**

"**Look, I washed for supper." The soldiers laughed and started taking what they can find.**

**Captain Miller witnessed the entire ordeal and didn't look very pleased about the war crime that was just committed in front of him. He forced himself to look away and regroup with his men.**

Ironwood shook his head with disapproval. His peers and subordinates shared similar sentiment but ultimately couldn't bring themselves entirely to vilify them. After all, it wasn't them who had their lives on the line and survived the brutal battle that took place minutes ago.

**The Allied forces have secured Omaha Beach, demolishing all of the German's massive field guns and artilleries should it ever be retaken.**

"**Hey, Fish."**

"**Yeah?"**

"**Look at this, a Hitler Youth knife." Caparzo handed a knife he took from one of the German soldiers and handed it to Mellish, who took it with interest.**

"**Now it's a Shabbat Challah cutter, right?" Private Mellish starts laughing before breaking down into tears. His silent weeping turned into soft sobbing, finding it hard to believe that he survived what could be described as hell... And possible killed a young teenager in the process.**

"The pain and guilt that arrives… After the battle is over." Ozpin softly said.

Ironwood turned his head slightly away from the screen, glancing down at his robotic arm. Painful memories revisiting him. Then like a dream disappearing, the dreadful feeling washed away as the Hosts alleviated his distress. He gave them a silent thanks and returned his gaze to the screen.

**Caparzo looked somberly at his teammate before looking down on the ground as Mellish fiddled with his helmet, seemingly wanting to take it off but is too fearful to do so.**

Several students shed a few tears, caught up by Mellish's emotional breakdown. Even those who were normally apathetic, cruel, or uncaring remained silent. Their eyes refocused at the edge of the screen while they continue to hear the private's sobbing.

**Not far from his men, Sergeant Horvath was somberly scooping up dirt into a small metal container. He closed the lid that contained the words FRANCE written in blue marker and placed it into his pouch that had more metal containers containing dirt of other countries and continents.**

"Souvenirs from his tour of duty." Clover murmurs softly.

**The sergeant kept his eyes on the beach, looking downcast. "That's quite a view."**

**Captain Miller shakily and slowly unscrewed his canteen to take a drink. His eyes were wide and attentive to what laid before him. "Yes, it is… Quite a view."**

**The ocean water was red from the blood of soldiers whose blood was spilled on that beach. Corpses of Allied soldiers littered the beach. Their bodies swaying gently to the ocean waves or remained still in the sands.**

**As far as the eye can see, the sea was crimson red and the bodies of their fallen comrades laid there at rest, blissfully away from the horrors of war that will continue on amongst the living.**

The screen darkened and the light returns to the room.

"It's… Finally, over." Pyrrha shakily breathed out, clutching her partner's hand.

"But not for them," Ren said sadly.

"_Their battle continues, though we will not witness it." _Said the Hosts.

Near the front seats of the theater, Ironwood seemed to be lost in his thoughts, eyes not quite there.

"James." Glynda tentatively touches his hands, snapping him out of his inattention.

"I'm alright." Ironwood calmly breathed out, "Thank you, Glynda. I'm okay."

Marrow leaned towards Clover, "Is it me, or is the general and Beacon's deputy…?"

"Yup." Qrow butted in, with a soused grin. "Or, use too. They don't always get along these days, but it's still there."

"Really?"

"_We shall let you collect your thoughts before we move onto the next viewing." _The Hosts interrupted_, "The next viewing can be… A bit of an oddity like many other worlds."_

"It won't be like what we just watched, will it?" Ruby asked meekly.

"_It will not."_

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**NEXT: Team Fortress 2: Expiration Date**

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**Again, SPECIAL THANKS to Vumanchu** **for providing my dialogues and notes of Saving Private Ryan!**

**Pardon my grammar and any misspellings. Point those out so I can fix them.**

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I have weekend classes, so any stories from here on out will be painfully slow to update...


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